stop it with this shit, linguistics has long established that in the US it is OK to say "could care less", it's a regional idiom / phrase and you guys just look like absolute dumbasses arguing about it. The British dont say it like that and take offense for some reason.
Nope it doesn't even work as sarcastic since that would be "wow, they care so much".
"They could care less" means they care somewhat and so you're effectively saying that it's SOMEWHAT important to them which is a super lukewarm statement to make and quite pathetic.
Couldn't care less vs could care less is the same argument as best of the worst vs worst of the best. It's highly subjective to interpretation.
If you think that the best and worst are distinct classes, it makes sense to be the worst of the best. Better to be the bottom of the top 10%, than the top of the bottom 10%. If you instead think that best and worst are a unified class that overlaps, with the worst being the "least best" and the best being the "least worst", then you should strive to be the best of the worst, or somewhere in the top 50%.
Paradigm matters. Would you rather be the richest vagrant on the streets or the poorest multi-billionaire in D.C, vs do you want to be a wealthy scrub or a poverty-ridden trust fund baby, are two very different questions to consider before answering "best of the worst or vice versa?"
Likewise, if you think that caring is a spectrum (with negative care being loathing and antipathy, for example), then couldn't care less makes no sense -- you can ALWAYS despise something more than you currently do. On the flipside, if you think that caring is a real value, then could care less makes no sense -- either you care the bare minimum of none or you don't, there is no caring less than not caring.
In mathematical terms, if I ask you on a scale of 0-10 how much you care, and you answer 0, then you couldn't care less. If I ask you on a scale of -∞ to ∞ how much you care, and you answer -10 zillion gajillion babillon, sheesh, you sure as shit don't care in the slightest, but... you know, you could care less.
However, while some people say 'could care less' and others say 'couldn't care less,' both groups are ultimately just saying 'I don't care' and EVERYFUCKINGBODY KNOWS THAT, so it's a moot point that only pedants and assholes argue about.
The world doesn't grind to a halt when I ask for an Allen wrench and you hand me a hex key.
Even that's weak sauce, what they would want to say would be more like "I can't believe I could care even less than I already do, but you've proven me wrong".
A better usage is when you someone doesn't expect you to be that interested in something, and you say, "Hmmmm, I could care less about this" which means you're actually somewhat (and surprisingly) interested and trying to state that in a sorta clever way.
It means there's some unknown level of caring left. The meaning itself "I could care less", means that the person's intent is to care even less than they already do, or not, but the implication is that they don't really care all that much.
How is it so hard to understand this simple concept? How are this many people so uptight about such a loosely-used idiom?
'Could care less' makes 0 grammatical sense. That means that you could care less about it, meaning that you care more about it than you could do. Makes no sense at all. The emphasis is on 'could not care less' I.e. you could not care less than what you care about that
Someone just helped you sound smarter. It was free advice from an anonymous person on the internet that caused you zero personal embarrassment.
The way you said it was incorrect, even if lots of other people do the same. Don’t be a defensive snowflake. Understand the merits of the point being made (which is absolutely grammatically correct in this case) and embrace them.
Could care less knows no specific areas in America, it sounds stupid whenever anyone says it...despite where they're from. As long as you understand that going forward.
Couldn't* care less.
Watch as my ability to care goes into the negative!
stop it with this shit, linguistics has long established that in the US it is OK to say "could care less", it's a regional idiom / phrase and you guys just look like absolute dumbasses arguing about it. The British dont say it like that and take offense for some reason.
Source? If this was accepted by anyone, it was a dimwit lefty. "Could care less" is nonsensical in the context that is is usually used.
The meaning is crystal clear:
Could care less = There are things I might care less about than this
Couldn't (could not) care less = There's nothing I could possibly care less about than this.
When people say this, they usually mean the 2nd one. "This thing is so unimportant, I couldn't care less about it"
Until you pay no attention and have apathy for something, you can always technically care less
We're not arguing, we're half joking about it and here you come blowing it the fuck up lmfao
Dass tru, fuk dis shiet, spleling iz raysist
No, it really doesn't work both ways.
Yes, it really does work both ways.
Either way, everyone gets the point: someone doesn't care.
"You're wrong." - Logical "You're right." - Sarcastic.
Nope it doesn't even work as sarcastic since that would be "wow, they care so much".
"They could care less" means they care somewhat and so you're effectively saying that it's SOMEWHAT important to them which is a super lukewarm statement to make and quite pathetic.
Why are you downvoting him, he’s right!
Couldn't care less vs could care less is the same argument as best of the worst vs worst of the best. It's highly subjective to interpretation.
If you think that the best and worst are distinct classes, it makes sense to be the worst of the best. Better to be the bottom of the top 10%, than the top of the bottom 10%. If you instead think that best and worst are a unified class that overlaps, with the worst being the "least best" and the best being the "least worst", then you should strive to be the best of the worst, or somewhere in the top 50%.
Paradigm matters. Would you rather be the richest vagrant on the streets or the poorest multi-billionaire in D.C, vs do you want to be a wealthy scrub or a poverty-ridden trust fund baby, are two very different questions to consider before answering "best of the worst or vice versa?"
Likewise, if you think that caring is a spectrum (with negative care being loathing and antipathy, for example), then couldn't care less makes no sense -- you can ALWAYS despise something more than you currently do. On the flipside, if you think that caring is a real value, then could care less makes no sense -- either you care the bare minimum of none or you don't, there is no caring less than not caring.
In mathematical terms, if I ask you on a scale of 0-10 how much you care, and you answer 0, then you couldn't care less. If I ask you on a scale of -∞ to ∞ how much you care, and you answer -10 zillion gajillion babillon, sheesh, you sure as shit don't care in the slightest, but... you know, you could care less.
However, while some people say 'could care less' and others say 'couldn't care less,' both groups are ultimately just saying 'I don't care' and EVERYFUCKINGBODY KNOWS THAT, so it's a moot point that only pedants and assholes argue about.
The world doesn't grind to a halt when I ask for an Allen wrench and you hand me a hex key.
Could care less means you care.
Example of proper use of "I could care less":
Leftie: "If you care about Democracy, you'll give Biden a chance!"
Me: "I could care less, and you're helping me get there."
Even that's weak sauce, what they would want to say would be more like "I can't believe I could care even less than I already do, but you've proven me wrong".
A better usage is when you someone doesn't expect you to be that interested in something, and you say, "Hmmmm, I could care less about this" which means you're actually somewhat (and surprisingly) interested and trying to state that in a sorta clever way.
I understood it but it really annoys me lol
Props on your handle BTW.
I couldn't care less if you could care less, but couldn't you be less careless?
It means there's some unknown level of caring left. The meaning itself "I could care less", means that the person's intent is to care even less than they already do, or not, but the implication is that they don't really care all that much.
How is it so hard to understand this simple concept? How are this many people so uptight about such a loosely-used idiom?
couldn't care less means you care, too. it just means you care less than anything else you care about
You can't care less than not caring at all.
'Could care less' makes 0 grammatical sense. That means that you could care less about it, meaning that you care more about it than you could do. Makes no sense at all. The emphasis is on 'could not care less' I.e. you could not care less than what you care about that
Could care less is shortened from the original " I could care less, but I'd have to try"
Just as a point in fact, "they could care less about the Constitution" but they care more about ________.
marxism,
money,
dem party,
keeping their kids from Bidens/Epstien/Hotdog+PizzaObamaParties, etc.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw
If they could care less, then that means they're still caring a little bit. Obviously that's not what's happening here.
Either way doesn’t work though
I’m good, I like the way it’s wrote. Thanks though
Written
😂
Lol. This is seriously getting ridiculous.
Thin ice, buddy, thin ice
Except what you wrote means that they could still care less about the constitution.
If they couldn't care less, that means they have hit the minimum threshold of caring.
Exactly.
"I could care less" is a short form idiom that derived out of "I could care less, if i cared at all.",
Never heard of that.
Interesting.
The more you know.
The way I described it is fine. Everyone gets the point. Don’t be such a leftist.
Nope. Speaking and writing clearly and concisely is not a left / right issue. It's a stupid / smart issue.
Someone just helped you sound smarter. It was free advice from an anonymous person on the internet that caused you zero personal embarrassment.
The way you said it was incorrect, even if lots of other people do the same. Don’t be a defensive snowflake. Understand the merits of the point being made (which is absolutely grammatically correct in this case) and embrace them.
I’m an English teacher and I think this conversation is silly.
could care less where I’m from, it means you don’t give a damn.
Could care less knows no specific areas in America, it sounds stupid whenever anyone says it...despite where they're from. As long as you understand that going forward.
Then where you are fron has a bad education system.