Could Care Less

Originally posted by jerryznv


I am sure that if I were using a word, phrase, term,etc...incorrectly...I would much rather have someone politely send me a message letting me know my error.

I tried that once, here... it didn't go well. The member thought I was insulting him, even after I explained that I was not making fun of him at all, just trying to help him.

reply to post by jerryznv


As I said in the OP, it isn't just one person.

I decided to start the thread today after reading within an hour or so several different people saying it wrongly.

Rather than me PM-ing several different people, every day, I thought I would just put it out there, and the thread title should bring in the people who like to (mis)use the phrase the most. Not a bad idea really, when you consider I wasn't being rude, and just want to help people with their understanding of how best to use it.

reply to post by Casandra


No, it's hard isn't it. Every email would have to be tailored, and what right have I to correct individuals - whom I know nothing of their background or education?

I am simply trying to protect my own eyes, and sanity, when reading what these people say. Also, IMO it really undermines "what" they say when they can't even clarify whether they care more or less about it.

Originally posted by Casandra

Originally posted by jerryznv


I am sure that if I were using a word, phrase, term,etc...incorrectly...I would much rather have someone politely send me a message letting me know my error.

I tried that once, here... it didn't go well. The member thought I was insulting him, even after I explained that I was not making fun of him at all, just trying to help him.

I understand that people naturally don't take correction in the best form...but I think more times than not...someone appreciates private correction as opposed to in the open forum.

I see things like this...

Seriously, if some of you had brains...

...and I am offended...whether it was in private or otherwise.

Because English is not everyones native language...there are bound to be mistakes in grammar, word use, meaning,etc...and I hardly think it has anything to do with "brain" matter!

My location in my avatar lists U.S...does that mean I was born here and have spoken English my whole life?

Not hardly...I just think we could be a bit more patient with people that are not English majors!

Either way...it's a minor thing to me...if it bothers some to the point of ranting...more power to them!

reply to post by NibiruWarrior


I can't hardly believe that people do not understand simple English.....

But it doesn't have nothing to do with me because I never get it mixed up.

So I don't need no advise from anybody on this subject.

Peace

reply to post by jerryznv


"If some of you had brains" refers to an English phrase "If you had brains you'd be dangerous".

It is not a personal attack, and is in general quite well known.

It means "if you used your brain, there would be no issue", and does not refer to the said person having no brain at all; that's just silly.

Also, I don't take the point on-board that it is because English isn't someone's native language. If it wasn't, they would use the more simpler terms I spoke of before, like "I do care" or "I don't care", they wouldn't overcomplicate things with double-negative phrases. They are trying to be smarter than they actually are, and it is only about being lazy in reading it properly, nothing more.

If they were to read it properly, and slowly, they would soon see that it isn't even the same thing as "there and their" and "where, were and wear". In purest form, any person, no matter what language they natively speak, who can understand the meanings of "couldn't", as a mixture of the words "could" and "not", "care", and that "less" means not as much, then this is totally called for and fair comment.

I am sorry you took offence, it wasn't meant.

reply to post by NibiruWarrior


Hey, I found a soundtrack for your thread!!



Hmmmm, don't know this guy but is he doing it on purpose?



he should read this thread.

Peace

Originally posted by Gwampo

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by NibiruWarrior

 

I just can't resist.

I couldn't care less about your rant.....

why post then? LOL

I am joking...being lighthearted which the author of this thread understands...

How much has the American version of English, been affected by immigrants from the rest of Europe, for whom it wasn't their first language?
If they tried to imitate what people said without fully understanding it, that could lead to "illogical" usages, which would then become commonplace.
Another example seems to be the occasional use of a phrase like "he don't know from nothing."
A logical English-speaker's reaction to that statement would be; "From? Leaving aside the double negative for a moment, what is the word 'from' doing in that sentence? What does it add to the meaning?"
Yet it would be very explicable if a new speaker of English had also heard a phrase like "he doesn't know his arse from his elbow" (ie, can't tell the difference between them), and accidentally combined the two.

Having said all that, is "could care less" really any more irritating than the current British usage "on my behalf", when the speaker means "on my part"?

Originally posted by DISRAELI
Another example seems to be the occasional use of a phrase like "he don't know from nothing."
A logical English-speaker's reaction to that statement would be; "From? Leaving aside the double negative for a moment, what is the word 'from' doing in that sentence? What does it add to the meaning?"

I think I can explain that one.

In German (and dutch) the phrase "I know nothing" would be "ich weiß von nichts" and "Ik weet van niets". The emphasis here is on the word "von/van". The literal translation of "von/van" is "from" but also "of".

You may know the guitarist Ad van den Berg, It's a dutch name and it literally means "Ad from the mountain", noticed how this "van" turned into "from" while in the sentence "ik weet van niets / I know of nothing" the "van" becomes "of"....

I know, it's confusing.

Peace

reply to post by operation mindcrime

Thank you. So it seems I was right to suspect an "immigrant" origin, but guessed the wrong route.

I could care less about this rant, but then I really wouldn't care at all. Oh, wait, I guess you're right, I couldn't care less.

The whole thing is very confusing...

If I say "I could care less..." that means to me...I really don't care and I can care even less than the tiny little bit I do.

If I say "I couldn't care less..." that to me means...I am at the end of caring and it is impossible for me to care any less.

They both mean I don't give two **it's either way!

I would take it as negative in either form...so I couldn't care less at this point!

In the opinion of this ATS user, It's all the television that people watch these days. And let's face it there is some pretty dumb stuff on there. Exspecially fot the teenage crowd. How can you learn Proper use of any language when all kids watch is American Idol, Jersey shore, and Teen Mom. I gave my tv up quite some time ago. I now read twice as many books, written in proper english, as I used to. Reading proper english helps to remind me to think about what it is I am writing. Lack of television is also why I believe my two year old has the speech and vocabulary of a 3-4 year old. We read books and listen to Mozart and the many classics. The examples set on tv for our youths these days make me sick. The simple fact is that most people use sayings like that without ever thinking of there true meaning. Anyway, that's my take on your rant.

reply to post by usmc0311


I've got to say I do agree regarding the cause...

Thanks for the comments

Peace,

R

reply to post by jerryznv


I do realise that is what it might mean "to you", however the fact is that they do mean different, and opposite, things.