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"could care less" is actually wrong -- it literally means that you do actually care about the thing in question.
by theturtle32 16y ago
"could care less" is actually wrong -- it literally means that you do actually care about the thing in question.
- xenophanes 16y agoBeing wrong doesn't stop people using it. They could care less if it's wrong ;p
- amadiver 16y agoThe common use of "nonplussed" means exactly the opposite of the intended meaning. It may be wrong, but it's generally understandable in context. I'd argue "could care less" works the same way.
- rapind 16y agoYou're not wrong. It's totally understandable within context. Bill: "Hey Ted, check out my fancy landing / lead acquisition page for a product that doesn't exist yet". Ted: "I could care less" Bill: "Hold up a minute there chief. Are you saying that you do care? I'm so confused..."
- danwolff 16y agoYou are correct, of course. It is so frustrating that I've justified it for the incorrect as a shortening of: I could (exhibit that I) care less (because I do care less than I currently exhibit). Or, as a matter of giving the benefit of the doubt: I could (exhibit that I) care less (because I am, through effort, caring more right now than I would naturally).
- rapind 16y agoHow about, "I care so little that I can't even be bothered to properly pronounce that I couldn't care less." or "I could care less" is actually sarcasm which implicates that caring is obviously unlikely. Both statements display a stronger degree of uncaring than "I couldn't care less" which is actually a pretty boring and to the point statement. Therefore I find "I could care less" to be the clear winner to indicate how little I actually care. In summary, "I could care less".
- afterburner 16y agoDevil's advocate: "I care very very little right now, but if you keep bugging me about it, I could care less, if you like." or: "I care very very little right now, but there's nothing holding me back from caring even less than that."