"Could Care Less" vs. Couldn't Care Less" by Maeve Maddox
The comments show just how impassioned people can become regarding which version of this phrase is correct.
The article was posted in August 2007 and was still getting new comments as of this week. Apparently the debate over "could care less," which has been raging for decades, rages on today.
But Which One IS Correct?!
The phrase is supposed to mean that you don't care about something at all. Logically, saying "I could care less" implies that you do care a little bit, making it an inaccurate way to express that you don't care at all. Whereas saying "I couldn't care less" leaves no doubt that you couldn't possibly care any less than you do.
I'd wager that about 80% of people say "I could care less," and the other 20% say "I couldn't care less." The 20% flinch when they hear someone say "I could care less," thinking how idiotic the person sounds. The other 80% say it that way because that's the way they always heard it.
Maybe They're Both Correct
This comment from the above-linked article makes a very interesting point:
john Ireland on August 10, 2007 3:53 pm
In the late 1950's, a verbose variation on the term "I couldn't care less" was spoken: "I suppose I could care less, but I don't see how." Words were dropped over the next few years until "I could care less" was all that was left. Those too young to know the history of the saying likely cringe and think it is nonsense. Those who know its derivation mentally hear the unspoken words and accept its meaning without concern.
If that's true, then maybe this matter is settled. Maybe the people who say "I could care less" aren't throwing logic to the wind after all. Nor should they be subject to the scorn of grammatical purists who insist on the more accurate "I couldn't care less."
I'd love to hear from someone who knows whether this John Ireland guy is correct. If someone backs him up, I'd feel confident that we can declare this issue a dead horse once and for all. Comments please!
Well if he's right I know a few people who are going to feel vindicated. It's always nice to find out you're a little less backward than you think.
ReplyDeleteThat article (cited in the story) is STILL getting comments (and probably will forever, if the pattern so far is any indication). I signed up to be notified by e-mail when new comments were added, so I see them all.
ReplyDeleteThe latest comment agrees with our mysterious John Ireland.
Author: Chase
Comment:
Originated in the 1950s with the phrase 'as if I could care less'
The 'as if' was dropped, but still maintains the same meaning as 'could care less.'
Coincidence?
The smart people are those who correct others when they hear 'could care less' - the dictionarily accepted term - due to a lack of familiarity with the phrase and its origin. I wonder if that sentence means literally what it says?
An American shibboleth to assist us in spotting the Europeans :)