Shouldn't it be, "I couldN"T care less"????? Think about it. "I could not care any less." Isn't that what we are trying to say?!
2006-10-03 03:37:51 · 8 answers · asked by elle101604 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I've noticed too. Sometimes I call them on it and say like "oh, well since you COULD care less, you must care a little..." hehehe.....they tend to get frustrated.
2006-10-03 03:44:19 · answer #1 · answered by PaganPoetess 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Of course you are right. I am a native German, so english is only my second language.
When you learn (study) a foreign language, mostly you are paying much more attention to grammatics, terms and sayings. And very often native speakers (especially when they are not well or not much educated!!!) do not pay attention.
They don't think about their expressions at all, because they don't have to. They just repeat what they think they have heard.
I have seen that very often by now, americans very often write that as a comment or say it.
"I could care less", and every time I am thinking, what idiots they are, they don't even listen to themselves and don't realize it makes no sense what they are saying...
2006-10-03 13:35:20 · answer #2 · answered by albgardis T 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're right of course!! Several times I've asked American people WHY they delete the n't - well, they're the only people I've ever heard say it!! - and they claimed that they're being polite!! Can you believe it? A 'polite' insult!!
They said that "couldn't care less" is too harsh, and that when they say "could care less" it means that they only care a little tiny bit, but not a lot!
And here I was thinking that it was just another 'dumbing down' exercise from the people who brought us "color", "y'all", and "TheatER"!!
; )
2006-10-04 01:10:37 · answer #3 · answered by _ 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Since that is a phrase I use, I'll give you my answer. As opposed to saying, "I could care less" I say, "If I really try I probably could care less" meaning I might care but the amount of care I contain is so minuscule I have to work hard to care less.
2006-10-03 10:48:15 · answer #4 · answered by rules27 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I figure, "I couldn't care less" implies a tiny bit more caring than "I could care less" does.
And really, would you bother to mention it at all if you don't care a little?
2006-10-03 11:41:20 · answer #5 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've noticed that when watching American films, and it has always confused me, as in England we say "I couldn't care less". Possibly it has evolved from the English (of England) usage in the same way that "colour" has become "color" and "through" as become "thru". It could be a loss of that syllable ('nt) in the same way as in French, they have eliminated the letter "s" a lot (eg. écureil was escureil (meaing squirrel) ).
2006-10-03 10:52:34 · answer #6 · answered by Splatt 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes, but it's an example of what we call "common usage." It is more properly, "I COULDN'T care less." But when someone says "I could care less," you understand what they mean - that they don't care. It's a colloquialism.
Love Jack
2006-10-03 10:47:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
The short answer is: they're ignorant.
Nothing to be done.
2006-10-03 10:47:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋