After bashing the (too) often used phrase “anal-retentive” (in this entry), I realized that that isn’t the only stupid phrase that is thrown around in everyday conversation. Well, right now I’m going to take the opportunity to further bash the english language (you should try it, it is surprisingly easy!). This time, my target is “…could care less/…couldn’t care less”. Here is an example usage of it, just to refresh your memory:
Suzy: Hey Bobby, I can’t believe you got a 23% on that last history test! What are you parents going to say?
Bobby: Suzy, calm down. My parents are both raging alcoholics. They could care less/They couldn’t care less
So in that situation, which phrase is the proper one to use? I don’t know about you, but it seems that I hear “could care less” more often than the other choice. Yet, if you actually read them and use your brain, only one of them really makes any sense, and that is the “couldn’t care less” one. In a situation that these are used, the whole point is to show how somebody cares a very little amount about something. Therefore, “couldn’t care less” shows that whoever it is cares so little, that they actually could not care any less about whatever it is. No matter how hard they try, they are caring as little as possible and they simply can not have any less caring for whatever the thing is. However, “could care less” doesn’t make any sense. Literally, that means that whoever it is has the ability to care less about whatever it is. So it doesn’t really say anything about how little or how much they care currently. They could care less, but they don’t have to. It’s up to them. To the listener or reader of somebody using “could care less” it does not clarify anything about the situation.
So next time you notice somebody using the phrase “…could care less” I suggest you ask them exactly how much less could the person or people really care? If they act surprised and a little thrown off by your questioning, you should mention how whoever is misusing and abusing that phrase obviously couldn’t care less about our language, as screwed up as it already is.
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