Hmmmm? that's a very interesting and valid point, let me just ponder it for a moment or 2............ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Americans say couldn't or could not care less.

Can we have some agreement and stick to the correct usage please?

I couldn't care less whether we were all in agreement on this or not (sorry but you wrote the perfect setup for using that line).

I'm with you Doza - finicky pedants unite!

I think it just comes down to general literacy mistakes...

Why do some people (think its an American thing) say "could care less" instead of "couldn't care less"???

The idea it so imply your care factor is so low, it can't go any lower so saying "could" doesn't make sense because you are actually saying your care factor is not at its lowest and you could, if you wanted to, care less, but in fact you don't. So you are actually caring!

Whereas "couldn't" means you don't care so much you have reached the end of your care factor and you can't go any lower and is in fact the correct usage I believe.

Eg.

"I couldn't care less if my girlfriend leaves because I hate her". Your cae factor is at rock bottom already and can't go any lower here.

"I could care less if my girlfriend leaves because I hate her". YOu in fact care to some degree because you say you could actually care less than you are right now so your care factor is not at its lowest here.

Make sense people...? Can we have some agreement and stick to the correct usage please?

That's easy... same reason that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.

Usage determines meaning more than nit-picky rules of grammar. C'mon! Loosen up!

That's easy... same reason that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.

I've never used 'flammable'

extra thought: say flammable again and again, it starts to sound quite funny

Edited December 7, 200619 yr by Nikkijah

Americans say couldn't or could not care less.

Naw! Guilty as charged. Have said "could care less"... and I possess that linguistically-cursed citizenship...

I've never used 'flammable'

...shouldn't brag about being 50% handicapped in your vocabulary!

Usage determines meaning

Precisely so would one use 'could' when they mean 'couldn't'???

I am glad we are reaching a general consensus here I couldn't care less if inflammable means the same thing as flammable but I could care less if anyone disagrees with me here!!!!!

Seriously though, this has irked me for some time now and I am glad to get it off my chest. I feel good about it.

Watch my avatar

i could care less ,

but

i don't ...............

I've never used 'flammable'

...shouldn't brag about being 50% handicapped in your vocabulary!

My English half of that 100% works fine thanks

It's American irony, exaggerating to show extreme meaning, or minimalizing. I'm of the old school, so I say the proper "I could not care less." Younger Americans who also like to way "whatever, dude...." might say, "Oh yeah, like, I could care less." I don't care how they say it; in its context, I understand them.

I'm more pedantic about its/it's and mis-spelling ridiculous as rediculous.

Then again, I didn't use pedantic until knowing that the boot of the drophead coupe was behind the bonnet and the windscreen, whilst amongst the saloons.

...but I could care less if anyone disagrees with me here!!!!!...

Now, do you really mean "could" or "couldn't"? If you mean "couldn't" you could call all the rest of us dissenters TROLLS! (shudder). If you really mean "could" then we are your buddies. Right? Wrong?

Wait, I think I've confused myself....

Edited December 7, 200619 yr by toptuan

Same reason why some people think "Y'all" is a word.

Same reason why some people think "Y'all" is a word.

It ain't?

Watch my avatar

that's Tornado's Avatar!!!!

To the O.P, The yanks, although having some good people in their society, are not exactly renowned for having a very good vocabulary.

y'all know what I mean, Homey?

Watch my avatar

that's Tornado's Avatar!!!!

To the O.P, The yanks, although having some good people in their society, are not exactly renowned for having a very good vocabulary.

y'all know what I mean, Homey?

Oh Kayo ... stop working on your birthday ....

Same reason why some people think "Y'all" is a word.

Of course, it's a word. It's the second person plural, previously called you as opposed to the singular, thee. The possessive form is y'all's."

I would of got upset about this but finally decided that I couldn't care less. The could of / could have thing is far more likely to set me off.

It comes from the saying, "Like I could care less." Meaning you could not care less. It is just shortened to "could care less." Same meaning as, "couldn't care less."

Eg.

"I couldn't care less if my girlfriend leaves because I hate her"

“left”, not leaves, please.

--

Maestro

Eg.

"I couldn't care less if my girlfriend leaves because I hate her"

“left”, not leaves, please.

--

Maestro

errr no

Sorry Maestro, wrong.

Dogblower - I am with you, sets me off too. But it's just in the written sense. When people speak they are actually saying 'have' but its been shortened into one word with use to 'could'ave' and sounds like could of, so that's what imbeciles write!

And what does any of this have to do with Thailand?

Where are the moderators when you need them? Oh, there they are . . in the discussion itself.

I heard people saying it in Thailand. And Thai people might hear it and start using incorrect English terms, so this could have a negative effect on the country and other terrible consequences!!! Very relavent to Thailand.

Thailand? Well, I could of moved this to the Teaching in Thailand Forum, but somebody would of thought that was rediculous. Note the smiling emoticon, that indicates I'm joking. In fact, even if this topic didn't start there, it's already in the teaching forum.

Seriously, I started a grammar thread here; I could merge these two threads. This is precisely the sort of thing that English teachers in Thailand argue over. Or, they argue beneath it, in Thailand, under a cloud of uncertain pedantry.

All joking aside, proper use of subject matter is important. Scientists don't discuss gravity as if they mean moisture, and economists have to agree what inflation is before they can discuss price increases or money supply.

Topics merged/

This IS Thailand related. The English language is VERY confusing. I wasn't aware of just how confusing until my Thai wife started studying in earnest. I find that I have to tell her many times that I simply don't know why some words mean the same thing and some spelled the same DON'T mean the same thing. I'd guess at one time teachers had to justify keeping their jobs and created MANY more words than are necessary.

Saying that this is Thailand related because some Thai's try to learn English is like saying it's ok to start a new thread on the historical implications of the Rwanda genocide, because . . well . .Thailand has diplomatic relations with Rwanda.

The link is tenuous at best.

Still . . I could care less.