Why do Americans say "I could care less" and British people say "I couldn't care less"

Question

when meaning they don't care? Surely it's obvious that "I couldn't care less" is the only one that makes sense? as in, "I care so little, I really couldn't care any less"! has anyone else ever noticed this?

Answer 1

I agree that "I could care less" could be said sarcastically, but I don't think many of the people that say it realize this. I think this is more of a case of Americans taking liberty with the English language. Americans say it because they've heard other people say it that way and couldn't care less that it doesn't make any sense.

Answer 2

Because they are idioms. An idiom is a saying that only makes sense to the speaker of that language, e.g. in English we say 'take French leave' when we mean, 'take time off work for no good reason'. Conversely, the French say, 'filer a l'Anglais' (=run away like the English do) to mean the same thing!
Now English is the root language, and American English is a dialect of it. Both sentences are actually possible gramatically, and both make sense when you consider the implications of the full version. That is, if you expand the British version, what is implied is '....than I care now' (=I don't care at all), and the US version implies '...than I do now, but I can't be bothered' (=so I don't care at all). As you can see, despite the lexical difference, they are the same.

Answer 3

I wasn't conscious that there grow to be a parallel saying in the united kingdom, yet 'i might want to care a lot less' is a saying that likely advanced from the English saying. words will and function replaced when you consider that u . s . a . of america chop up from the united kingdom, and now lots of the English words have become archaic. 'i could not care a lot less' likely sounds awkward to maximum human beings, and if a word drops out of recognition and no one has heard it reported that way formerly then a sparkling way of holding it is going to happen. So saying 'i might want to care a lot less' is the suited way of holding 'i could not care a lot less'--in u . s . a . of america. for my area, 'i might want to care a lot less' sounds more effective efficient than 'i could not care a lot less', inspite of the undeniable fact that it is likely vice versa for those in the united kingdom.

Answer 4

Yes, well obviously Americans are wrong when they use it to mean they don't care and that's almost all the time. I think I've never heard anyone say it to mean that they could actually care a little less.

Answer 5

You are correct that "I could care less" is used only in America. But MANY Americans also say "I couldn't care less", so it's not strictly a "British vs. American" thing.

As an American, I long though "I could care less" was simply a mistake. But if it's said SARCASTICALLY then it works.

Answer 6

The American version is more sarcastic than the English original. I think I could care less is meant to imply that although the speaker could care less, they just can't be bothered!

Answer 7

It's just another example of 2 nations divided by a common language. The thing that I find really strange is that, considering the very high level of patriotism in the USA, Americans continue to say they speak English when it's quite clear that what they actually speak is American.

Answer 8

I didn't know the Americans said that - yes it would annoy me to hear someone say something like that because it really doesn't mean what it's intended to convey!

There are alot of things that come out wrong in American when you compare it to English. You're best thinking of them as two different languages that just happen to have a great deal in common.

Answer 9

In the English version the full length is "I couldn't care less even if I tried".

There's no accounting for American grammar ;o)

Answer 10

when i say "i couldnt care less" it sometimes comes out "could care less" simply cause im speaking fast and dont get the "nt" part in. it doesnt make sense but people seem to understand anyways. but im not american so its possible that they are just being sarcastic.