Caring Less

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:28 am

In another thread missy wrote:I could care less

From the context I took this to mean something along the lines of "This is a matter of total indifference to me". Here in the UK the equivalent phrase is "I couldn't care less". Does anyone know why the difference? Taken literally they do mean slightly different things but do they have the same inference on both sides of the pond?

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:31 am

jbarter wrote:
In another thread missy wrote:I could care less
From the context I took this to mean something along the lines of "This is a matter of total indifference to me". Here in the UK the equivalent phrase is "I couldn't care less". Does anyone know why the difference? Taken literally they do mean slightly different things but do they have the same inference on both sides of the pond?

"I could care less" is a careless solecism that has entered American English some decades ago and is a fair way to replacing the comprehensible "I couldn't care less."

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:32 am

I think 'I could care less' said in the US means 'I couldn't care less' said anywhere else. I'll be interested to see if I've got this wrong.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:40 am

Wombat wrote:I think 'I could care less' said in the US means 'I couldn't care less' said anywhere else. I'll be interested to see if I've got this wrong.

You are correct.. It's just as bloomfield said above, people don't
think about the actual meanings of the idioms they spout, so when
and incorrect (or gramatically senseless) version comes about, it
can get passed around. "I could care less" (along with "irregardless",
et al.) is common fodder for American columnists, grammer Nazis,
and English teachers. I have heard both the correct and incorrect
forms used in the US.

More info:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:45 am

If it bugs you, just pretend it's short for, "I could care less, but that would require me to think about it."

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:46 am

jsluder wrote:If it bugs you, just pretend it's short for, "I could care less, but that would require me to think about it."

Oooo, I like that!

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:47 am

It's true, people don't think about the idioms they repeat.

One woman I used to work with, got a "Not if I see you first" reply to "See you!".
She decided that this was the trendy thing to say and repeated it to absolutely everyone. Finally we had to take pity on her and explain it.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:54 am

It doesn't matter.

That's basically what it means.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:15 am

The "n't" is silent, like the initial "o" in "possum" and the "P" in "bathtub."

But seriously, folks, I think there is an element of sarcasm inherent in "I could care less," which is why its meaning is lost on the Brits and other sarcasm-challenged peoples. And since sarcasm depends heavily on inflection and tone, the meaning of "I could care less" is often missed in written communication.

Therefore, in writing, "I could not care less," would be preferred, since it is less open to misinterpretation and less likely to be subject to the associated pissing and moaning from off-shore, literal-minded critics who themselves have a regrettable tendency to insert a superfluous 'u' in '-or' words. But "I could care less" is fine in speech over here because we know precisely what the hell we are talking about.

(Edited to add that I checked with American Heritageand am pleased to see they agree with me.)

missy · Post by **missy** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:20 am

I was told that "I couldn't care less" makes no sense because if I wasn't going to care why would I care less.

So - I was then told to use "I could care less", because I really didn't want to care at all about it.

How about I just don't give a d@mn?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:27 am

gonzo914 wrote:The "n't" is silent, like the initial "o" in "possum" and the "P" in "bathtub."

But seriously, folks, I think these is an element of sarcasm inherent in "I could care less," which is why its meaning is lost on the Brits and other sarcasm-challenged peoples.

Ouch...

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:49 am

jsluder wrote:If it bugs you, just pretend it's short for, "I could care less, but that would require me to think about it."

That's the sort of thing I figured the US version must come from. A sort of more thoughtful version of "whatever".

It doesn't bug me at all, in fact I couldn't give a rat's ass about it. It's just that some of the minor differences between the UK and the US get me thinking more than the major ones do.
(I do however have a bag of rats' asses and will gladly present you with one if you find a topic that bothers me)

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:12 am

missy wrote:I was told that "I couldn't care less" makes no sense because if I wasn't going to care why would I care less.

So - I was then told to use "I could care less", because I really didn't want to care at all about it.

How about I just don't give a d@mn?

This shows Americans not understanding an English expression. Just like the English struggle with American expressions, at times.

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:33 am

missy wrote:How about I just don't give a d@mn?

But the American version would then have to be, "I do give a d@mn," to go with, "I could care less."

Either way, it strikes me as pretty d@mned careless.

djm

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:34 am

jbarter wrote:It doesn't bug me at all, in fact I couldn't give a rat's ass about it.

Whatever......

(I do however have a bag of rats' asses and will gladly present you with one if you find a topic that bothers me)

I thought it was supposed to be a bag of spanners??

Did I miss something? Or am I confusing it all....again? Not that I want a bag of spanners, or a bag of rats' asses for that matter.

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