Dont you love grammar nazi's?

Well I got the juicy bits from this Writers Digest article which has the answer to whether it's I could or couldnt care less .

http://blog.writersdigest.com/qq/I+Could+Care+Less+Or+I+Couldnt+Care+Less.aspx?et_mid=73697&rid=2960890

Quote

When taken literally, the two phrases have opposite meanings. "I couldn't care less" means that it's impossible for me to care any less about the subject at hand than I already do. If I say, "I couldn't care less about hockey," I mean that on a scale of one to 10—with 10 suggesting that I'm the most enthusiastic hockey fan this side of Canada, and one meaning I don't give a flip about the sport—I'm a one. I don't care about hockey at all.

On the other hand, "I could care less" literally means "I care more than I might seem to." If you could care less, you're saying that you care some, which is the opposite of not caring at all. Now, some folks will argue that "could care less" is intended to be sarcastic and therefore shouldn't be taken literally. But it's hard to convey that in print, so it just looks like unpolished writing.

Stick with "I couldn't care less."

Then again we should get more info on the topic cause he says to stick with I couldnt care less for writing only.

I must admit "I could care less" has never made much sense to me, but it only seems to be Americans who say this. In England we say, "I couldn't care less", which means just as it sounds. The quoted blog post sounds spot on to me, definition-wise.

One of the great things about language though, is that it's everyone's. So if someone wants to break grammatical rules, in spite of it making our ears and eyes bleed, so be it. As long as the meaning is clear, which I suppose it is whichever version you use. Despite the literal meaning of the words, people will know what is meant.

Language is plastic, by that I mean it changes and moulds with the times, so whilst we no longer write 'ye olde shoppe', one day instead of "I couldn't care less", may just be "I less." Hmm, that sounds a bit stupid, but you get my meaning. So the current argument of 'could' and 'couldn't' will be obsolete, it'll be something else instead. 

As someone who's actually lived in America AND England (okay only for a week but I lived there thinking we would be there for 3 years ha ha), I can vouch for you on the American thing. They DO say they could care less, I'm not sure why!!

The only reason I think it makes sense to people though is because they know what it's supposed to mean...and I think that's the same with most of those people who break the rules and say their own things.


Also, thanks for the nightmares about the future .

Maybe it is a question of regions in the U.S....southerners do say "I could care less." But they also say, "I couldn't care less." Is it different in the North?

To answer your first question. Yes, yes I do love grammar Nazis. For without them we would not have this conversations, in which other people are thinking "Why do you know that?" 

sarengazie (10:16am Thu, Sep  5, 2013)

To answer your first question. Yes, yes I do love grammar Nazis. For without them we would not have this conversations, in which other people are thinking "Why do you know that?"

Grammar Nazis can be useful, to a point.

Irregardless of the facts about the statement, I couldn't care less about this one.

Ouch! I have been using this wrong! Though no one else might have noticed, its enough that I noticed!

It's one of those things that REALLY irritates me.

People always say "I could care less" which kind of defeats the purpose of saying it. If they could care less that means they care at least a little bit.

Lol I've gone on five minute long rant about people who say I could care less. Saying you could care less about any given situation carries virtually no weight.

I think it is just one of those expressions that doesn't make a lot of sense, but has been used by so many people for so long, that everyone knows what is meant by it, even if we aren't actually using good grammar.
Whether we should use it when writing depends entirely on what we are writing. if it a proper article about something, then, by all means, we should use the correct terminology.
However, if it is a story, and has dialogue; then it would be perfectly fine to say "I could care less!", and use it as an expression that someone in the story is saying.

Of course, it is always good to know just how it should properly be said; and since I have heard it expressed both ways, I am glad  to know which is the right way.

Wow, I never thought about it but they do have very different meanings. So from now on I will say,"I couldn't careless."