Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login

"I could care less"

April 16th 2008 13:38
"The dismissive 'I couldn't care less' is often used with the shortened 'not' mistakenly (and mysteriously) omitted: 'I could care less.' The error destroys the meaning of the sentence and is careless indeed."

--The Elements of Style, Strunk and White

"I could care less" is one of my biggest pet peeves. Saying it is like if Rhett Butler were to tell Scarlett O'Hara at the end of Gone With the Wind, "Frankly, my dear, I give a damn, but only somewhat."

I remember explaining the reason why "I could care less" is wrong to a high school friend, who argued that the ability to care less does not preclude the possibility that one could still care very little. He was right, logically, but of course the matter is rhetorical, not logical. Saying or writing "I could care less" robs the phrase of its original meaning and intent: it's supposed to indicate that one doesn't give a damn at all.


If you know anyone who needs a visual aid, refer to the handy Caring Continuum:

I could care less

Image from incompetech.com.


112
Vote
Shared on


   
Subscribe to this blog 


Just this blog This blog and DailyOrble (recommended)

   

   


Comments
5 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Michaelie

April 17th 2008 13:49
HAHAHA love the example from Gone With the Wind, and the 'Caring Continuum'. If that doesn't set people straight, nothing will.



This 'could care less' mistake really annoys me too, but I have never heard anyone in Australia make it. I come across it most on American TV and in American books, and I don't know why they say it - it makes no sense!

Michaelie

Comment by Irene

April 17th 2008 17:08
Hi Michaelie--I'm guessing it's a North American thing. I'm Canadian, and I hear it here all the time. Grrr!



Comment by Morgan Bell

April 29th 2008 19:06
have you ever heard people say "cheap at half the price"? hmmm well yes it would be wouldnt it? haha

now "twice the price" would really be saying something!

the phrase i have botched my whole life is saying "intensive purposes" instead of "intents and purposes" . . . i still cant get my head around it being three words instead of two

im also a shocker for saying "little own" instead of "let alone" . . . i have no excuse, just bad habits

Comment by RubySoho

April 30th 2008 06:56
'The Caring Continuum'. How brilliant, kinda puts Hawkings space-time continuum graph to shame...but I'm sure he could care less.

Morgan..."little own" haha. Your mistakes remind me of the David Allen comedy routine where he talks about growing up Catholic and the first time he heard "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"' he was at his uncles' funeral and he thought the priest said "in the name of the father and of the son and into the hole he goes".
He repeated this at school until one day the nun slapped him around the head for making fun of God. HIs reply? "I saw him, he went into the hole!"

Classic, somewhat off-topic but very funny

Comment by Irene

April 30th 2008 13:07
Morgan, yes, "cheap at half the price" and other phrases like that irk me too. Redundant!

RubySoho, that's a good one.

Add A Comment

To create a fully formatted comment please click here.


CLICK HERE TO LOGIN | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Name or Orble Tag
Home Page (optional)
Comments
Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Separator Left Center Right Separator Quote Insert Link Insert Email
Notify me of replies
Notify extra people about this comment
Is this a private comment?
List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this comment


One per line max of 30

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this private comment thread. Only the people in this list will be able to see or reply to your comment.


One per line max of 30

Your Name
(for the email going out to the above list, it can be different to your Orble Tag)
Your Email Address
(optional)
(required for reply notification)
Submit
More Posts
1 Posts
1 Posts
3 Posts
12 Posts dating from April 2008
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
0

Irene's Blogs

1352 Vote(s)
49 Comment(s)
13 Post(s)
Moderated by Irene
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]