Comments on: “Could Care Less” versus “Couldn’t Care Less”

By: Kyla

Kyla — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:44:32 +0000

Oh gosh there’s a whole cult following of the “couldn’t care less” supporters of which I am one your biggest proponents. It used to urk me to the utmost starting in oh, elementary school. I am not 23 and I have all but given up (another saying I don’t really understand). I still correct people. But they won’t stop. They just look at me as overly particular.

But i do cringe. Keep up the good fight! Ignorance is not bliss–it urks us

By: Louise

Louise — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:42:06 +0000

@Jen and ml

I believe that you don’t say ‘nip it in the butt’, it’s supposed to be ‘nip it in the bud’. You’re supposed to compare it to a flower when it’s a bud. You nip it before it starts growing.

I’ve never heard ‘nip it in the butt’. I suppose that’s come about because bud and butt sound quite similiar. I’m suprised you’ve never read it though. Or is it an American translation??

By: happysoul

happysoul — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:11:46 +0000

“I could not care less” can also imply that you cared a lot about something.

I cared about her so much that I could NOT care less. =)

By: bbq burrito

bbq burrito — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:06:42 +0000

“I could care less” had no practical usage before it became an idiom. Anyone arguing that it lacks clarity should consider that. And those of you who presume to judge a person’s intelligence based on the phrases he uses are beneath contempt. Except for the British folk, who are just silly.

By: ml

ml — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:52:33 +0000

Jen, I think it started as champing. Since chomping and champing mean the same thing I guess this example it is a little different from our original thread from the dead topic.