could care less

[David Bergdahl]

Tony Glaser wrote:

> All the technicalities are far beyond me, but at a gut level I just
> don't buy the notion that when Americans say "I could care less" they
> are adopting a sarcastic version of "I couldn't care less". I think
> it is just said as a dismissive comment. Next time someone says it to
> me I will point it out, and I'll be interested to see if they say
> something along the lines of "Well, obviously, what I _really_ mean
> is that I could _not_ care less" or if there is an uncomprehending
> response implying "I just mean that I don't care". Not that the
> speaker's interpretation of what he or she says necessarily proves
> its origin at all . . . .
>
> Tony Glaser

I'll try again: "I could care less" is the original Yinglish, sarcastic with
proper intonation, and "I couldn't care less" is a goyische attempt to make it
sound waspish.  :-)

Your reluctance to accept the facts of usage and history suggests a misplaced
belief that logic rules language, a misconception for which there are many, many
books and articles available to help you get over it.  Larry has already mentioned
Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct.  (additional bibliography on request)

--db
____________________________________________________________________
David Bergdahl          http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~bergdahl            tel:  (740)
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