I frequently hear people saying "I couldn't care less." I have said it myself.
However, when I heard it today it suddenly occurred to me that what was actually meant was that the person could not care (at all). The implication being that if I 'could not care less' then, to make sense, that had to be followed by '...than (some defined level of care).
For example: 'I could not care less about the colour of your socks' means that I care about them at a defined level. If I want to say that I actually don't care about your socks then what I should say is "I do not care about the colour of your socks".
What on earth started me on that esoteric linguistic train of thought?
Come to think of it I could not care less about the topic of this post.
I have also recently seen comments that say " I could care less" - omitting the not - which means something else entirely to my mind.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, JayCee, it's quite a little minefield if one starts analysing it.
DeleteI'm familiar with the "I couldn't care less" expression in English and might use it myself to express total indifference. To me the implied ending to the phrase would be something like "I couldn't care less if I tried". (And I agree with JayCee about "I could care less".)
ReplyDeleteClearly put, Monica.
DeleteI am more likely to say "I dont give a flip about that". Not that I say that about much! To give a flip, is that a Southern expression? No idea, just heard it all my life. Nice to see a post from you, Graham!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. I've never heard that expression.
DeleteI am more likely to say "I dont give a flip about that". Not that I say that about much! To give a flip, is that a Southern expression? No idea, just heard it all my life. Nice to see a post from you, Graham!
ReplyDeleteThe phrase was discussed recently somewhere here, and analysing it gave me a headache, and so I decided I couldn't care less.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to feel the same, Andrew
DeleteSuch a phrase makes not caring worse than not caring is how I take it. Now that you mention it, it would make more sense to let it go and say just don’t care at all. Now, I’m also caring less about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Graham, for helping me feel I belong. 😎
May
You are very welcome, Maywyn.
DeleteAt my son and daughter's school there was a Maths teacher called Mr Careless which I think is a great name for a Maths teacher... or indeed a "Mr Man" book. At the school where I taught there was a History teacher called Mrs Boreham which she did regularly!
ReplyDeleteMr Careless does indeed sound like a Mr Man character! At a former work place, I knew a Frau Fröhlich (Mrs Cheerful), and from what I saw of her, she really lived up to her name.
DeleteCheerful by name and cheerful by nature.
DeleteThere are radio programs here at the end of the year where people phone in about bits like you bring up. Isn't this an ugly sentence!
ReplyDeleteRed, sort of vomiting random words.
DeleteMy version is "I couldn't give a monkey's". It means the same thing.
ReplyDeleteCro, I used to use that as well.
DeleteI couldn't care less about what the so-called celebrities are up to, for instance. There are many different ways to express what we do (or do not) care about, and I think it is good to have such variety - as long as we understand each other.
ReplyDeleteOddly, Meike, for the first time it occurred to me that if you couldn't care less about a specific thing (eg what celebrities are up to) you must care at some level. Hmmm.
Delete"I could care less " irritates the heck out of me.
ReplyDelete"I forgot it at home" is equally irritating.
"Couldn't care less" suggests there is no possible lower point on the care scale?
Oddly, Kylie, I've not heard the first two sayings.
DeleteI know I wrote a comment but it disappeared! No matter.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my world, Janice.
DeleteWe say it all the time here, it's a popular saying with Kiwi people, however I wonder if people really don't care. have a great week.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience Kiwi's care quite a lot despite being generally laid back
DeleteOnce during a sermon, I found myself completely distracted by 'apart' and 'a part'. The first means not of the group. The second indicates with the group.
ReplyDeleteIt fascinated me. I can assure you that I was the only one.
I have to say, Debby, that I found it fascinating but probably wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.
DeleteAlso: people here use the phrase 'I could care less'. That indicates some amount of concern. It is not the same as 'I couldn't care less' which indicates you starting at 0. Impossible to go lower on the care-o-meter.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Debby, I don't ever recall hearing anyone use that phrase but then I may just have not toticed.
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