Is it correct to say "you couldn't care less.." or "you could care less ..."?

Question

It seems to correct to use the expression "you couldn't care less," eg: "you couldn't care less about global warming, so don't pretend to be outraged by..."

Yet in everday usage, I more often hear people say "you could care less..." which doesn't make sense, unless intended to be sarcastic.

Answer 1

I'm a bit surprised that no one has yet made a convoluted attempt to explain to you why "I could care less" makes sense.

I always believed, like others who have answered, that this form was nothing but a big mistake, by people who didn't understand the point of the original. (And it IS clear that "I couldn't care less" is the original form; the other a derived form used by some Americans.)

But I'm no longer so sure it came about as an ignorant mistake. Some have suggested the possibility you mention -- and they seem to have a point--that the secondary form was invented as a SARCASTIC retort.

One writer, in fact, points out that the way the whole expression is ACCENTED is different from the negative form, something that should NOT happen if the expression is simply a mistake.

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."

(* marks the strongest accent in the sentence)

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 - Though this may 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! (Note that not everyone who uses it pronounces it as described above. ) But it does argue that the "illogic" of the form was not ignorant, but intentional!

In fact, the example you give "You could care less" (as opposed to "I") is not likely to be meant sarcastically, but to be based on an improper understanding of the original. (Perhaps the attempt at sarcasm was too subtle in this case to effectively communicate the point.... so perhaps we can't blame people too much for not getting it.)


______________

It might help to 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

Certainly "I couldn't care less" is the logical thing to say. Most people in Britain still say this, but I have heard many American speakers say "I could care less."

The fact is that living languages are not logical -- people mishear, and then repeat what they think they have heard without reflecting on whether it actually makes sense.

Probably the only thing that has saved us Brits from this strange mistake is the fact that we tend to sound the "t" at the end of "couldn't" more strongly so it's less likely to be misheard.

Answer 3

I agree with exactly what you said, and it has bothered me since the "could care less" thing became more and more prominent. In my opinion, if you "couldn't care less", then that means that you don't care at all, cause there's nothing less than how much you care. But if you "could care less", then you do care some, and that doesn't make sense to me either.

Answer 4

"you couldn't care less" seems correct to me because you are trying to tell someone that you don't care at all. If you don't care at all then you couldn't care any less than nothing.

Answer 5

It is wrong to say 'i could care less' when you actually mean that you couldn't, but people say it anyway.

It sounds newer/different/better to the correct way, which is enough for most people.

Answer 6

the normal standard saying is I couldn't care less, you could care more. however as english is not a dead language like latin it is common for things to change

Answer 7

yes you are right

why you care about this??