Could -- or COULDN'T -- care less. Which?
I know someone will quickly say you "could (or couldn't) care less" about this post, so get past that. Then, tell us which phrase YOU think is correct. I argue for "couldn't," because that is saying you care absolutely nothing -- there is no room for caring less. If you say "COULD care less," it would seem to mean you must care at least a little because you, uh, COULD care even less. Other than saying people know what you mean either way, how can you defend COULD if it really means the opposite of what you intend? What say you?[}:)] (Stir, stir.)[}:)]
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I've always maintained that one couldn't care any less.
I could care less infers (to me at least)that one does, in fact, care.
So, sorry to agree with you, old chap, but, then again, if you're bothered...
Well, I couldn't care less.[8D]0 -
"You couldn't possibly care less" means that it is impossible for you to care less about any given subject.
"You could care less" means that you care about other things less than you care about the given subject matter, and that future ranking of lower levels of care on the subject matter still exist.0 -
I see your logic, but I could care less.[;)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by ECC
I see your logic, but I could care less.[;)]
Bite me. [}:)]0 -
I just thought of something.
It's in the inflection.
You say, for instance,
"I could care less..."
And then either let the sentence dangle like that or go ahead and finish it with something like...
"...but that would require more work than you're worth"
ssssssssssssss ooooooh. burn.0 -
"Couldn't care less" means you have a degree of caring that can go no lower. "Could care less" means the degree of caring can change. Don 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Colonel Plink
I just thought of something.
It's in the inflection.
You say, for instance,
"I could care less..."
And then either let the sentence dangle like that or go ahead and finish it with something like...
"...but that would require more work than you're worth"
ssssssssssssss ooooooh. burn.
The 70s was 30 years ago, ya old fart.0 -
"Couldn't." 0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by Colonel Plink
I just thought of something.
It's in the inflection.
You say, for instance,
"I could care less..."
And then either let the sentence dangle like that or go ahead and finish it with something like...
"...but that would require more work than you're worth"
ssssssssssssss ooooooh. burn.
The 70s was 30 years ago, ya old fart.
I know. I know.
I frequently date myself...
But I been married so long it's the only action I get.
ba DUM bum!
Thank you, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip the waitresses.0 -
Pesonally, I could care less and I couldn't give a ****("Care") what anyone thinks about it.... 0 -
[8D]-I really, in retrospect-cannot,in true conscience, find any more reason/data to substiante your off the wall claim-so
--I COULDN'T CARE LESS--
[xx(][xx(]--JIMBO0 -
quote:Originally posted by rossowmn
I know someone will quickly say you "could (or couldn't) care less" about this post, so get past that. Then, tell us which phrase YOU think is correct. I argue for "couldn't," because that is saying you care absolutely nothing -- there is no room for caring less. If you say "COULD care less," it would seem to mean you must care at least a little because you, uh, COULD care even less. Other than saying people know what you mean either way, how can you defend COULD if it really means the opposite of what you intend? What say you?[}:)] (Stir, stir.)[}:)]
I depends whether you could or couldn't care less. When most people say they "could care less" they mean "couldn't care less".
The one that bugs me is "very unique".0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by ECC
I see your logic, but I could care less.[;)]
Bite me. [}:)]
Well, I was actually referring to Rosso...at least he displayed some logic.[;)][}:)][:)][:D]
....oops! I hit edit instead of quote! Sorry. Spaniells post was not edttted...mistake on my part[^]0 -
People get in the habit of saying things a particular way, and sometimes there is a regional component to it. In most places "I don't care to.." means I would prefer not to. In some parts of Tenn, I is used to mean "I would not mind." "I could care less" is as stated above used to mean "I could not care less," and is understood to mean that even though it implies the reverse.
Personally I just don't care.0 -
I think I use both... 0 -
I think either/both phrases display a lack of the ability to clearly state in English, the intent of the speaker.
D.
gotcha0 -
Hmmm...I use both, but in different phrases.
"I couldn't care less..." or "Like I could care less..."
They both, however, mean the same thing...0 -
BR here....
From dictionaryreference.com
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Dictionary.com Word FAQs
Dictionary.com ? Word FAQs ? Grammar/Usage/Style
Which is correct: I could care less or I couldn't care less?
The expression I could not care less originally meant 'it would be impossible for me to care less than I do because I do not care at all'. It was originally a British saying and came to the US in the 1950s. It is senseless to transform it into the now-common I could care less. If you could care less, that means you care at least a little. The original is quite sarcastic and the other form is clearly nonsense. The inverted form I could care less was coined in the US and is found only here, recorded in print by 1966. The question is, something caused the negative to vanish even while the original form of the expression was still very much in vogue and available for comparison - so what was it? There are other American English expressions that have a similar sarcastic inversion of an apparent sense, such as Tell me about it!, which usually means 'Don't tell me about it, because I know all about it already'. The Yiddish I should be so lucky!, in which the real sense is often 'I have no hope of being so lucky', has a similar stress pattern with the same sarcastic inversion of meaning as does I could care less.
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Indicates premium content, which is available only to subscribers.0 -
And that there oughta sum it up,..um, yepper. 0 -
It all depends upon what your definition of "could" is.
I DON'T CARE!
I could not possible care any less about this subject than what I care about it at this point in time.0 -
And I'm supposed to care...why? 0 -
Isn't that what I said??
D.0 -
I'm shocked!!!!
You guys are not very caring people...0 -
I could care less ... but I don't! 0 -
Originally posted by He Dog
People get in the habit of saying things a particular way, and sometimes there is a regional component to it. In most places "I don't care to.." means I would prefer not to. In some parts of Tenn, I is used to mean "I would not mind." "I could care less" is as stated above used to mean "I could not care less," and is understood to mean that even though it implies the reverse.
Personally I just don't care.(quote)
I have also experienced the above mentioned phenomenon, but personally usually use, "Give less than a damn"[}:)]0 -
Couldn't.
"Could" allows room for change, which is not what the statement implies.
Another pair that are frequently reversed are "set in concrete" and "carved in stone". It is certainly possible to "carve" something in concrete, but it is unlikely to have something "set" in stone.[:)][;)]0 -
Maybe you are familiar with the term: non-sequitur. 0 -
Stronger terms - one word statements
contradictory - Dispassionet - dispel - inconaruity - diseminated - disaffirm - disavov - non-congruence - confutable - confabulate0 -
quote:Originally posted by wanted man Originally posted by He Dog
People get in the habit of saying things a particular way, and sometimes there is a regional component to it. In most places "I don't care to.." means I would prefer not to. In some parts of Tenn, I is used to mean "I would not mind." "I could care less" is as stated above used to mean "I could not care less," and is understood to mean that even though it implies the reverse.
Personally I just don't care.(quote)
I have also experienced the above mentioned phenomenon, but personally usually use, "Give less than a damn"[}:)]
Me too! although I think I say that "I could give less than a damn".0 -
+1
quote:Originally posted by Colonel Plink
I've always maintained that one couldn't care any less.
I could care less infers (to me at least)that one does, in fact, care.
So, sorry to agree with you, old chap, but, then again, if you're bothered...
Well, I couldn't care less.[8D]0
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