Could care less?

TGS · 01-11-2011, 04:21 AM

There is a phrase in English, "I couldn't care less", which means, roughly, I care so little about this that I cannot imagine caring any less about it - "I couldn't care less about the fate of Manchester United" means I do not care at all about the fate of Manchester United.

Of late I have noticed the phrase, "I could care less" Now. on the face of it "I could care less" means the opposite of "I couldn't care less". The least it means is that my level of caring about this issue could be less than it is, in other words, I care...to some extent. "I could care less about the fate of Manchester United", seems to mean that I care to some extent about the fate of Manchester United.

What is confusing is, it seems from the context in which it appears, that "I could care less" is used to mean what "I couldn't care less" means - in other words, "I don't care".

Does anybody know how this has arisen and how it is that, without irony, a phrase can come to be used to mean the opposite of what it does mean?

Bilbo1967 · 01-11-2011, 04:31 AM

I think somebody has posted this before, but;

TGS · 01-11-2011, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I think somebody has posted this before, but;

Sweetpea · 01-11-2011, 05:55 AM

I'd say it's caused by laziness! "I could not care less" is longer than "I could care less".

(oh, and to put one more down, why is driving on the right side of the road, wrong?)

kindlekitten · 01-11-2011, 09:25 AM

it's from the same people that cannot wrap their wee little brains around the fact that irregardless isn't a word

dsvick · 01-11-2011, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

it's from the same people that cannot wrap their wee little brains around the fact that irregardless isn't a word

ahhhhh - I hate that one.

I'll say "I could care less" sometimes, but when I do I'll put a sarcastic tone to it, indicating I really couldn't, or I'll finish it off by saying ", but not much."

happy_terd · 01-11-2011, 10:08 AM

My mother use to complain about us using street talk and slang. She considered any bad grammar that was socially acceptable in daily conversation as street talk. She especially hated the word 'ain't."

My favorite is when I ask someone if they mind and they say yes meaning go ahead. They just said yes they minded. I have to ask them "yes you mind, or yes go ahead?"

Graham · 01-11-2011, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I'd say it's caused by laziness! "I could not care less" is longer than "I could care less".

To lose one word may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose two looks like carelessness.

Graham

HarryT · 01-12-2011, 03:09 AM

The one that really annoys me is the use of the phrase "my bad" to mean "I have made a mistake". "bad" is an adjective - I always want to ask the speaker "my bad WHAT?". It makes no sense at all. Where on Earth did that one come from, I wonder?

lene1949 · 01-12-2011, 03:26 AM

'I could care less' was in a sample of a book I recently had a look at... and it confused me, as in I didn't know what it was supposed to mean... I didn't buy the book...

Exer · 01-12-2011, 03:57 AM

I don't mind the easy to confuse phrases being misused. I'm not perfect myself. The thing that really bothers me is when people spell words phonetically without bothering to ever check if the word is wrong or not. Worse still is if they do it on purpose.

I'll give some real examples from a 22 year old woman I know. This is the way she uses words.

2 = to, too
n = and
i b = I'll be
sum = some
tuff = tough
wiff = with
gud = good
every1 = everyone

If she was writing me a quick text message on her phone, I wouldn't mind so much. But she'll type an entire email to me this way. That is just plain laziness.

lene1949 · 01-12-2011, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exer

I don't mind the easy to confuse phrases being misused. I'm not perfect myself. The thing that really bothers me is when people spell words phonetically without bothering to ever check if the word is wrong or not. Worse still is if they do it on purpose.

I'll give some real examples from a 22 year old woman I know. This is the way she uses words.

2 = to, too
n = and
i b = I'll be
sum = some
tuff = tough
wiff = with
gud = good
every1 = everyone

If she was writing me a quick text message on her phone, I wouldn't mind so much. But she'll type an entire email to me this way. That is just plain laziness.

I don't do much of texting or reading them... I just don't understand them... If I'm texting, I write the whole thing out....

nashira · 01-12-2011, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

I don't do much of texting or reading them... I just don't understand them... If I'm texting, I write the whole thing out....

So do I, always have!

And I write long ones sometimes.

nohmi2 · 01-12-2011, 04:28 AM

I find it really difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying when they are chewing gum, and every second word is "like".

Invariably, this is done by the young and the restless.

Cheers

caleb72 · 01-12-2011, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The one that really annoys me is the use of the phrase "my bad" to mean "I have made a mistake". "bad" is an adjective - I always want to ask the speaker "my bad WHAT?". It makes no sense at all. Where on Earth did that one come from, I wonder?

Oh - I do that.

I promise if I ever get into a discussion with you I'll try very hard never to use that expression.

Regards
Caleb

01-11-2011, 04:21 AM	#1
TGS Country Member Posts: 9,058 Karma: 7676767 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.	Could care less? There is a phrase in English, "I couldn't care less", which means, roughly, I care so little about this that I cannot imagine caring any less about it - "I couldn't care less about the fate of Manchester United" means I do not care at all about the fate of Manchester United. Of late I have noticed the phrase, "I could care less" Now. on the face of it "I could care less" means the opposite of "I couldn't care less". The least it means is that my level of caring about this issue could be less than it is, in other words, I care...to some extent. "I could care less about the fate of Manchester United", seems to mean that I care to some extent about the fate of Manchester United. What is confusing is, it seems from the context in which it appears, that "I could care less" is used to mean what "I couldn't care less" means - in other words, "I don't care". Does anybody know how this has arisen and how it is that, without irony, a phrase can come to be used to mean the opposite of what it does mean?

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01-11-2011, 04:31 AM	#2
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	I think somebody has posted this before, but;

01-11-2011, 05:55 AM	#4
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I'd say it's caused by laziness! "I could not care less" is longer than "I could care less". (oh, and to put one more down, why is driving on the right side of the road, wrong?)

01-11-2011, 09:25 AM	#5
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	it's from the same people that cannot wrap their wee little brains around the fact that irregardless isn't a word

01-11-2011, 10:08 AM	#7
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	My mother use to complain about us using street talk and slang. She considered any bad grammar that was socially acceptable in daily conversation as street talk. She especially hated the word 'ain't." My favorite is when I ask someone if they mind and they say yes meaning go ahead. They just said yes they minded. I have to ask them "yes you mind, or yes go ahead?"

01-12-2011, 03:09 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The one that really annoys me is the use of the phrase "my bad" to mean "I have made a mistake". "bad" is an adjective - I always want to ask the speaker "my bad WHAT?". It makes no sense at all. Where on Earth did that one come from, I wonder?

01-12-2011, 03:26 AM	#10
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	'I could care less' was in a sample of a book I recently had a look at... and it confused me, as in I didn't know what it was supposed to mean... I didn't buy the book...

01-12-2011, 03:57 AM	#11
Exer I see Russia! Posts: 205 Karma: 234787 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Alaska Device: Etch-A-Sketch	I don't mind the easy to confuse phrases being misused. I'm not perfect myself. The thing that really bothers me is when people spell words phonetically without bothering to ever check if the word is wrong or not. Worse still is if they do it on purpose. I'll give some real examples from a 22 year old woman I know. This is the way she uses words. 2 = to, too n = and i b = I'll be sum = some tuff = tough wiff = with gud = good every1 = everyone If she was writing me a quick text message on her phone, I wouldn't mind so much. But she'll type an entire email to me this way. That is just plain laziness.

01-12-2011, 04:28 AM	#14
nohmi2 Pensively observing. Posts: 1,758 Karma: 12675456 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Varied.	I find it really difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying when they are chewing gum, and every second word is "like". Invariably, this is done by the young and the restless. Cheers

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