prescriptivism, conventions, irony, and could(n't) care less

[P2052 at AOL.COM]

In the case of "Take it slow," can I assume that this is an elliptical
construction, as in "Take it slow and easy"?  Also,  I often hear "I am well"
in response to "How are you? For me, "I am well" has a different meaning than
"I am good."  The former connotes the physical/psychological/social
well-being of the person while the latter connotes the behavior?   PAT

P.S.  On another note, I can count on one hand the times I've heard people
use "spat" as the past tense/participle of "spit".  While dictionaries I've
consulted still list "spat" as the past tense, very few people (including
educated speakers) use it; they use "spit" as past and present.   Does usage
dictate that "spat" be dropped?
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