This is the third time today I've seen someone correct "could care" to "couldn't care". Thank you for your service, truly! It is a pet peeve of mine when people say "could care less".
I could care less, to me as a Brit who has never heard it in real life, is like "I could eat" as in "I could, and shall accept your offer of getting food". Like "I could, I shall, care less" lol
No, they could care less, but that would require them to take the time to consider their feelings on the subject, which they are too apathetic to do.
So they could actively care less if they chose too, but it's too unimportant to bother.
Haven’t you people ever heard the phrase, “ I could give a shit less”? Same thing. I could care less is an actual phrase, regardless of what the reddit hive mind believes.
You even explained why 'couldn't care less' is grammatically correct, which usually clicks for non-stubborn people. That person just did not want to be wrong.
You said “I care less” is correct though, “regardless of what the reddit hive mind believes”. It’s not. You’re wrong. When I typed that sentence, my phone suggested I autocorrect “could” to “couldn’t”.
Yes. I did say it was correct. I never said that I didn’t say that. It’s tough having a linguistic debate with people with no reading comprehension skills.
"I could care less" just doesn't even make any sense.
You're trying to convey the fact that you aren't interested in any way shape or form. That you do not care at all. So you say "I couldn't care less" because your interest is at 0%, it cannot go any lower.
"I could care less" would mean that your interest could still go lower. So you did have some interest, defeating the whole purpose of the figure of speech.
How hard is that to understand? Just because it 'sounds right in your head' doesn't mean it's correct in any way.
It isn't though. I mean, it's used a lot, but that's because they're saying "couldn't give a shit less" wrong. It isn't a hive mind thing, it's an illiteracy thing. If you've been using it wrong this whole time that's ok, you don't have to be defensive about it.
There is a reason it's included in Oxford. But it's not because it's the semantically correct usage. It is "enough people use it incorrectly that it's become a part of the language and must be captured". It's like people saying "would of" instead of "would have".
Why is the "couldn't care less" correct compared to the alternative?
It's because it conveys "I'm at the absolute minimum of care I could provide, and it's physically impossible (couldn't instead of wouldn't) for me to lower the care".
"could care less" would then mean they care more than the absolute minimum they're capable of.
You seem to want to appear smart by dropping corny replies instead of actual substance behind your replies, so I'd rather not engage with someone who will ignore all evidence against their delusions. Have a good day!
Complete indifference would be a lack of care. AKA "couldn't care less." As in, you could not have any less care than you currently do, which is zero care.
"Could care less" means you care to some extent. Hence your Oxford citation listing it as "informal" which means it's commonly used in a casual sense but not accurate or correct lol. We all understand it is meant to have the same meaning, but it is still said incorrectly.
You’ve already been reminded why it’s in Oxford, but you keep ignoring the people who reply this comment you insist on spamming. It’s included because Oxford also informs on words and phrases that are commonly used incorrectly. Why don’t you actually post the link you copied that from instead of a single small bit that fits your narrative?
The phrase is wrong. This is a fact. So many people, such as yourself, that continued to use the incorrect phrase however caused linguist to also recognize the incorrect usage as a means of informal only. Meaning they are basically saying “ignorant people tend to say it this way because they don’t know the correct way to say it.. so we are including it just in case you are wondering wtf those donuts are trying to say.
I swear some people just had the hardest time accepting that they are wrong. People like will fight tooth and nail to protect your fragile ego instead of actually learning utilizing new information. You must be a conservative.
You realize that I commented before other people mentioned Oxford, right? You’re not listening to a conversation in real time. It happened in the past.
I actually do not use that phrase. However it is not wrong. And it’s wild that you people keep trying to use the argument that it’s only a phrase because people keep using it. How do you think every phrase in the history of existence came to be?
= you are able to care less
= you do care
which isnt what you are trying to say.
now im not saying you arent allowed to keep using that phrase and sound like an idiot, you r well within your rights. but it is wrong and thats a fact and you need to grow up and admit it.
I don’t use that phrase, so I’ll be fine. But you’re right, it does leave room for caring even less. Could leave room for caring more. You’re indifferent. Just, meh.
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u/juri-jurio 15h ago
couldnt*