How did the phrase "I could care less" come to mean the same thing as "I could NOT care less?"

Answer 1

You are correct about the meaning of the ORIGINAL (British) form of the expression -- "I couldn't care less"
But the common U.S. variant "I could care less" is NOT just a simple variant.

I confess that for years I dismissed the "could" version as ignorant and illogical. In fact, it IS illogical -- so don't get caught up in various attempts to make good sense of it!

But I seem to have missed the point. The way to make sense of "I could care less" is to recognize that it is SARCASTIC.

One writer, in fact, points out that the way the whole expression differently from the negative form. I can't fully represent it here, so you'll have to look at the link, but I've tried to give the idea below (I've marked the highpoint of the expression with asterisks. In the second version "could" is the lowest, least emphasized part, quite the opposite of "COULDN'T".)

"i *COULDN'T* care LESS". vs. "I could *CARE* less."

http://ling.kgw.tu-berlin.de/lexicography/data/MAVENS.html p. 377
= Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct - How the Mind Creates Language, HarperPerennial, 1995, ch 12


Note - this may well explain the ORIGIN of this variation. That doesn't mean everyone who USES this form actually GETS it that it is supposed to be sarcastic (and so, they may not pronounce it as described above). But it does argue that the "illogic" of the form was originally intentional!

Incidentally, note that those who attempt to make a LOGICAL explanation of this form act as if it were "I COULD care less". But their explanations fall apart when you see that it is NOT pronounced that way.

Compare this with the sarcastic use of "fat chance" (or in a longer form "fat lot of good it will do"). The tone of voice that indicates one means the exact opposite.

But note that even though each expression refers to the same 'basic facts', they are NOT exactly the same (and so cannot be exchanged) because the sarcastic "fat chance" includes an ATTITUDE that's not present in "slim chance". The same is true of "I could/n't care less"

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/fat+chance
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9911d&L=ads-l&F=&S=&P=4982

Answer 2

I don't know! I HATE that! Saying they could care less means they already care! Crazy people.

Technically, it's the same with "hopefully," which is only supposed to be used to mean "in a hopeful manner," but most of us say it to mean "it is to be hoped." (So saying something like "Hopefully, it will be fun" would be grammatically incorrect, whereas "He looked at the doctors hopefully" is how it's meant to be intended.)

And yes, I was completely off-topic with that little piece of information. But it's similar to "I could care less" and all of that abuse right there.

Answer 3

Oh thank god i thought i was the only person that this annoyed! I agree with the other people, it just started with laziness and through the passage of time, it became widely misused.

Answer 4

It's really funny, I noticed that too. I think it's just laziness, and most people probably don't notice. People say it in Canada a lot too.

Answer 5

laziness of the american english speakers to put in the 'nt or the not

Answer 6

maybe it has something to do with my fellow americans who are gramatically retarded...