Isn't the Right Phrase: I CouldN'T Care Less?..Not, I Could Care Less??

Question

I hear people all the time say- "I could care less about that," or "Well I really could care less."
Isn't the right way of saying it: "I COULD NOT care less?"
By saying you could care less, you are saying that you do actually care a bit. Saying I couldn't care less means there is no possible way of NOT caring about whatever it is as much as you are now. I just think that makes more sense. Tell me what you think.

Answer 1

It's really not a matter of what I *think* -- you stated it right out, the correct phrase is "I couldn't care less." People do say "I could care less" all the time, and I imagine most of them don't realize that it's not really what they mean! In fact, the incorrect usage of that phrase is a pet peeve of many people.

As for how I feel about the (incorrect) phrase being used more often than not? Well, I could care less, actually! And I mean that -- the improper use bugs me. Not as much as other things but....just enough.

Answer 2

It depends, I'm not sure of the proper way to phrase it, but I would honestly say I couldn't care less, but that's just me...It really depends on who you're talking with

Answer 3

Yes, you're technically correct, but you're probably fighting an uphill battle to change the english-speaking world's expressions at this point. This is just another example of opposites that have come to mean the same thing, e.g. a fat chance and a slim chance.

Answer 4

Yes, you are right.

Because the spoken stress is put on "care"
"I couldn't CARE less"
the "n't" syllable is "swallowed"
and sounds dropped or silent.

I suspect this is why so many people have
heard and repeated it as
"I could CARE less"
because they couldn't hear the "n't" very well.

So the phrase caught on this way.

My other pet peeve is y'all misspelled as ya'll
because it is confused with you'll etc.

Answer 5

It should be I could not care less. I hate it when people say it wrong.

Answer 6

The proper grammer is I couldn`t care less. I hope that this helps

Answer 7

haha I totally agree with you. I've thought about it before too. Like, when people say they "could care less" it means that they do care somewhat. Yea I totally understand where you're comin' from.

Answer 8

one of my pet peeves... the latter means you care a certain amount and should not be used in the first context... i couldn't care less means you dont care...

Answer 9

It should be "I couldn't care less."
If someone says, "I could care less," ask him to do so.

Answer 10

I always liked Mario van Peebles' story of the first time he met rapper Ice-T....he said he overheard Ice in the men's room saying, "If you put my body under a microscope, you wouldn't find one molecule that gives a f*ck!"