why does saying "i could care less" and "i couldn't care less" mean the same thing?

Answer 1

I've wondered that too.

Poor usage, I believe. We mean to diminish the importance of something, so we should say "I couldn't care less." Which means that the thing/idea/person is so insignificant that there could not be anything less important"

Yet some people say "I could care less" which literally means the thing in question must be of some importance. Because they could care less, something else must be less important.

Why do both flammable and inflammable materials burn?

Answer 2

They don't mean the same thing. People are making a mistake when they say "I could care less." "I could care less" means exactly what it says, that the person cares an amount that could be reduced. "I couldn't care less" means that the person cares an amount that cannot be reduced [because the amount he cares is zero].

You know what one of my favorites is? "I couldn't be more sorry." I love it, because it sounds like you are sorry a lot, but it really means that however much you are sorry, you cannot squeeze anymore sorriness out, especially the amount that they want.

Answer 3

When people say "I could care less", they actually mean "I couldn't care less." They're just saying it wrong.

Same thing as when people say "For God sakes." They're saying that wrong, too. They're supposed to be saying "For God's sake."

Sometimes when a saying gets going around for years and years, people start saying it the wrong way and change a word or two and it ends up becoming different. But the correct way to say it is "I couldn't care less." If you *could* care less, the saying loses its effect and doesn't mean the same thing.

Answer 4

Actually, they don't mean the same thing. Saying "I could care less" implies that you do care to a minimum, but there is space for you to care less than you do. "I couldn't care less" means that you have NO care whatsoever, and you care so little that you can't even not care anymore.

Answer 5

Good question! I've wondered the same thing. It would seem that by saying "I could care less," you're saying that in fact, you do care, when usually by using that expression, you usually mean that you don't care one bit! The American English language is so confusing.

Answer 6

They don't mean the same thing.

"I could care less" means you have some interest in something

"I couldn't care less" means you have no interest in something

Anyone using them any other way isn't using them correctly.

Answer 7

They don't. The phrase "I could care less" is often used in error because it literally means that the person cares more about the matter than he could or should.

Answer 8

They actually do not mean the same thing, but they are such common phrases that they are interpreted to have the same meaning. It is just poor use of English. Kind of like when someone says they "literally blew up" when they got angry. Unless they exploded and sprayed blood all over the walls, they only figuratively blew up - not literally.

Answer 9

well one means.. your saying u could care less then this.. and the other is saying you couldn't care anymore less then you already do.. hmm it does mean the same... thats weird.. probably slang changed it

Answer 10

"I could care less" means literally that you might care less than you do, implying that you do care at least a little. People just use it incorrectly.