Linguistics misunderstanding - please help.

by hotspur 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  hotspur

  Maybe it's a "common people separated by a common language" thing but I really don't get this.
  
  Many times I see somebody posting about something that irks them and they say "I could care less." But they use it in such a way as to infer they're not really bothered by it all.
  
  My problem is in the UK we say, "I couldn't care less." To my mind this makes more sense. The inference being it would be impossible to care any less than they already are. The other statement suggests they care to some degree so therefore it would be possible to "care less".
  
  So, please help me understand this. Am I missing something here?

  Incidentally, I've never seen a North American use the phrase "couldn't care less" (or if they have I've missed it).
• 

  mrsjones5

  If I remember this topic has come up before here on the board. Wish I knew which thread it was.
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  bluecanary

  It's like saying "irregardless" or "conversate." Somewhere along the way, people got sloppy and the incorrect version stuck. No one thinks about what the words they're saying mean. One of my peeves is when people say, "the fact is, is that . . ."

  "The fact is" is treated like one word that needs another "is" after it.
• 

  cult classic

  I'm American and I say "I couldn't care less". That is the correct way. And I correct people all the time on this in conversation.
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  AGuest

  Unfortunately, dear hotspur (may you have peace!), "we" Americans say a lot of things incorrectly. And we spell poorly. And our knowledge, understanding, and use of punctuation is seriously lacking. It's because we're usually very rushed (or simply don't pay very well attention) and so drop a word or two, leave out commas, and mispronounce... forgetting that doing so might actually change the meaning of what we're trying to say. In this case, dear CultC is right: the correct phrase is "I couldn't care LESS." Meaning, I am at the bottom/end of caring about the thing and there is nothing I could care LESS about. In contrast, to say, as "we" often do, "I COULD care less," means, of course... my caring COULD be less... about this or even another issue.

  People here tend to think it, well, arrogant (er?) if someone mentions/corrects/asks questions about their poor grammar, bad spelling, misspeaking, etc. I found that to be especially true while in the Borg. Folks there (especially pioneers and elders) tend to have some kind of revulsion against anyone who appears "learned". Indeed, they are only accepts as "learned" if they're (1) white, (2) older(er), (3) married to an educated unbeliever, (4) educated before they came in, or (5) had some rich relative who demanded they go to college or lose their inheritance. Regardless of their education and/or background. If they don't fit into one of those categories (and, being black, I never did/could), then they were "being immodest," or some melarkey like that. Unfortunately, the WTBTS knows this... and exploits it. It WANTS its members uneducated for a reason. Think slave masters. Indeed, if they could limit school attendance to the 8th grade, they would. Maybe even less.

  And so... I stopped caring about it a long time ago. They kinda made me. I just keep check on myself, but as for anyone else's poor phrasing, etc., I really... couldn't care less. No benefit in it anymore.

  Again, peace to you!

  A slave of Christ,

  SA, who understands the "danger" in letting stuff like this go... as shown by the WTBTS' control over its members as a result...
• 

  hotspur

  And that that is right? ;-) LoL

  Ok... so we're getting somewhere. It's only bothered me a little but I've really started to question whether the poster could or could not care less. So, this brings us to where we are now.
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  blondie

  I don't think people in the US have a corner on the market as to grammar and spelling problems. It varies from state to state, and from country to country and is more an individual person problem than a broad sweep of statement regarding a certain national or cultural group.
• 

  snowbird

  Again, Shelby, you nailed it!

  I wish I had money for the times I was given disapproving glances for allegedly showing off my learning!

  LOL.

  Sylvia
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  AGuest

  No offense intended, dear Blondie (peace to you!), but I am basing my statement not only on what I see/hear here in this part of the country, but what I hear on, say, TV, radio, read in magazines, newspapers, and observe during my travels country-wide. I think the younger generations are even more... ummmm... guilty of it. And now texting... well, there probably goes the entire English language as we know it right out the window anyway.

  But, perhaps folks are more conscious of things like spelling/grammar/punctuation in your neck of the woods or where all you've traveled. I have to say, though, if the dear folks here are any indication (and, again, NO offense intended, because, again, I really couldn't care less - it really IS no biggie - I was just 'sayin'...), I am more right than wrong.

  Again, no offense intended... and peace to you!

  A slave of Christ,

  SA
• 

  ldrnomo

  I believe it simply means: "I find this so unimportant that I don't care about it and if I wanted to I could even care less then I do"

  "I couldn't care less" implies that one is at the bottom of caring which would also mean "I don't care at all"

  "I could care less" implies that one does not find something important enough to care much about however they could even care less if they chose to think about it long enough.

  LD