I could or couldnt care less??

Question

I've heard people say "I couldnt care less" and "I could care less"... and when the people say it, they are suppose to mean the same thing..... so.. what is the correct one to say?..

I could care less..

or I couldnt care less..

Answer 1

OMG! I HATE when people say "I could care less," when they are trying to express complete disregard for something because saying "I could care less" means that there is a possibility that one could care less than they do, thus meaning that they do in fact CARE. Therefore, it makes more sense to say, "I COULDN'T care less."

Answer 2

The correct version is "I couldn't care less" -- the point is to imply that you care so little about something, that you literally couldn't care any less about it (i.e., you don't care at all). If you were to say "I could care less", you'd be saying that you do care a little bit -- generally not the point.

It's just people being lazy with the phrase, and not realizing it does have two different meanings. Of course, you're right that it's so common both ways, people will know what you're talking about, but "couldn't" is the grammatically accurate way.

Answer 3

I couldn't care less. If you say I could care less, it means you still care but less. Couldn't care less means you could not or don't care at all.

Answer 4

I think both work - I could means It's possible that I could care less - and I couldn't means it isn't possible for me to care any less than I do. One is passive "there's nothing I can do, I can't care" and the other isn't "I could, but I choose not to care"

That help any?

Answer 5

The "I could care less" option is an exercise in irony, which is the emphasis of a particular point by means of using its opposite.

"I couldn't care less" is a statement of a complete lack of interest.

Answer 6

you're precise. i could no longer care much less is the the perfect option type. some people, noticeably those for whom English isn't their first language, hear the word incorrectly and in basic terms reproduction it. perhaps the guy isn't announcing the "n't" very for sure - it is fairly elementary to mishear the two whilst somebody is talking quickly, even for close by audio device of the language.

Answer 7

I could care less!

Answer 8

They have, IMHO, very different meanings.

Answer 9

i couldn't careless

Answer 10

it doesn't matter because they are both careless