4 ms·

Meta: In a snobbish way, I find it very satisfying that the poll was constructed using, "Couldn't care less," as option three. It's ridiculous how often people

Meta: In a snobbish way, I find it very satisfying that the poll was constructed using, "Couldn't care less," as option three. It's ridiculous how often people say, "I could care less," when they mean the converse.

kmavm 16y ago
The "could care less" phrasing makes sense if interpreted sarcastically. Imagine "I suppose I could care even less <eyeroll>". This article is rather illuminating: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm
- chasingsparks 16y ago
  Agreed. (Thanks for the link.) However, I don't think people are aware of the distinction; I think it's just a parroted meme.
- mahmud 16y ago
  "I am being ironical" -- Robin Williams He killed in a standup routine and had the crowd laughing hard, but then he shrugged it off in the end and said "just kidding, I am being ironical", and the crowd giggled, slightly less enthusiastic (like he broke character.) I couldn't believe it! The entire audience missed the icing. That was the money. FATALITY. Absolutely amazing, and no one got it. :-|
  - StavrosK 16y ago
    Yeah, I don't get it either :/ What was it?
    - mahmud 16y ago
      The correct phrase is "I am being ironic", not ironical.
      - StavrosK 16y ago
        Erm? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironical http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironical
        mahmud 16y ago
        Ahem! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ironical http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ironical Words grow quicker than we can catalog them, and die preserved on paper.
        StavrosK 16y ago
        Hmm, it's odd, it sounds perfectly acceptable to me. I'd never have guessed it's not used, maybe because it's "ειρωνικός" in Greek, which would accept the -ical suffix (like "λογικός" - logical (and not "logic")). TL;DR: English is a second language :P
nugentc 16y ago
You are in the very good company of David Mitchell http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/language-usa http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/la...

kmavm 16y ago

The "could care less" phrasing makes sense if interpreted sarcastically. Imagine "I suppose I could care even less <eyeroll>". This article is rather illuminating: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm

chasingsparks 16y ago
Agreed. (Thanks for the link.) However, I don't think people are aware of the distinction; I think it's just a parroted meme.
mahmud 16y ago
"I am being ironical" -- Robin Williams He killed in a standup routine and had the crowd laughing hard, but then he shrugged it off in the end and said "just kidding, I am being ironical", and the crowd giggled, slightly less enthusiastic (like he broke character.) I couldn't believe it! The entire audience missed the icing. That was the money. FATALITY. Absolutely amazing, and no one got it. :-|
- StavrosK 16y ago
  Yeah, I don't get it either :/ What was it?
  - mahmud 16y ago
    The correct phrase is "I am being ironic", not ironical.
    - StavrosK 16y ago
      Erm? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironical http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironical
      - mahmud 16y ago
        Ahem! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ironical http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ironical Words grow quicker than we can catalog them, and die preserved on paper.
        StavrosK 16y ago
        Hmm, it's odd, it sounds perfectly acceptable to me. I'd never have guessed it's not used, maybe because it's "ειρωνικός" in Greek, which would accept the -ical suffix (like "λογικός" - logical (and not "logic")). TL;DR: English is a second language :P

nugentc 16y ago

You are in the very good company of David Mitchell http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/language-usa http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/la...