"I couldn't care less" - Let's set the record straight

[Dave A]

I can't recall ever seeing "I could care less" anywhere on GTPlanet.

Maybe I havnt been looking hard enough.

I don't think I have except in this thread. I don't tend to use either of them but I have used I couldn't care less on here, it just really would not bother me which one anyone used because I get the point either way.

 

[donbenni]

Alot is a town in India. A lot, on the other hand...

Was that intentional? Or a typo?

It was only alittle joke...

 

[Leonidae]

meh.. grammar nazis..

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

"Irregardless" is another one that's always irked me. The proper term is regardless, as irregardless is essentially a double negative by combing ir- and -less. It basically translates to "not with lack of regard", or simply "with regard to". Despite this, I hear people all the time using it when they express lack of regard (or at least attempt to).

Don't never use double negatives, people.

 

[Famine]

It's the effect/affect problem. Everyone should just remember that you can affect an effect, but you can't effect an affect. I think that effectively clears things up.

Due to my ISP being a complete rtard, I've been out since my last effect/affect post - but you CAN effect an affect. It's a slightly unwieldy piece of English, but it's acceptable. Common usage has affect as a verb and effect as a noun, but this isn't necessarily always the case.

If I do something and alter the outcome, I have had an effect - though I have affected the outcome.
But I can also effect something and create an effect (effect can be used as both a transitive verb and a noun) and if the effect I've effected is a behaviour I can effect an affect.

As I say, it's a bit unwieldy (and complex), but it's acceptable.

Nine times (or more) out of ten you can only affect something and have an effect, not effect something and cause an affect. It's a very specific piece of syntax that would have you effecting an affect, so if you use the words that way round, you're probably wrong.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo?

 

[Sage]

Yeah, most people can handle effect = noun and affect = verb, but once you bring in the alternate definitions it can get a bit weird, so I usually don’t even bring that up. However, I’ve definitely heard the verb form of effect enough that I think it’s important to know.

 

[Danoff]

Due to my ISP being a complete rtard, I've been out since my last effect/affect post - but you CAN effect an affect. It's a slightly unwieldy piece of English, but it's acceptable. Common usage has affect as a verb and effect as a noun, but this isn't necessarily always the case.

If I do something and alter the outcome, I have had an effect - though I have affected the outcome.
But I can also effect something and create an effect (effect can be used as both a transitive verb and a noun) and if the effect I've effected is a behaviour I can effect an affect.

As I say, it's a bit unwieldy (and complex), but it's acceptable.

Nine times (or more) out of ten you can only affect something and have an effect, not effect something and cause an affect. It's a very specific piece of syntax that would have you effecting an affect, so if you use the words that way round, you're probably wrong.

I know you're not going to believe me, but I actually thought of this when I typed my original response. I just figured I was the only one geeky enough to notice and didn't want to compromise my joke for silly things like being factually correct.

I told you you wouldn't believe me.

 

[Famine]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo?

Of all of the grammatical niceties in this thread, 3WD's's my favourite.

And yes, 3WD's's's grammatically correct. As 3WD's's's's too.

 

[Danoff]

Of all of the grammatical niceties in this thread, 3WD's's my favourite.

And yes, 3WD's's's grammatically correct. As 3WD's's's's too.

Anti-Anti-Anti-Anti-Missile-Missile-Missile-Missile Missile?

 

[Sage]

English is a picky language. Tortuous versus torturous, anybody?

 

[Danoff]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo?

I just looked this up on wikipedia (first I've heard of it). I understand the sentence now, and it seems like there should be a comma in there somewhere.

Edit: Here's another example listed in that wikipedia entry - which is a brilliant entry by the way (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo).

"Wouldn't the sentence 'I want to put a hyphen between the words Fish and And and Chips in my Fish-And-Chips sign' have been clearer if quotation marks had been placed before Fish, and between Fish and and, and and and And, and And and and, and and and Chips, and after Chips?"

"Badgers badgers badger badger badgers."

 

[Zrow]

My buddy and I were thinking of these at work once.

Punctuate this:

Ann while Joe had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect.

 

[wfooshee]

When I use "I could care less" it's in a sarcastic sense, similar to phrases like:

"I worship the ground you walk on," to someone you despise.

"Hot," speaking of the 200-pound hag in a thong on the beach. (I've seen it done!)

"You are a fount of knowledge," to a co-worker who can't remember his own cell number.

"I am the reference specimen for human physical fitness," to, um, myself.
(6ft, 1/8 ton)


In each case, the use of English is entirely correct, yet the meaning conveyed is the exact opposite of the actual usage.

 

[Danoff]

When I use "I could care less" it's in a sarcastic sense, similar to phrases like:

In that case, you really need the emphasis on the word "less". I've never in my life heard it spoken with sarcastic emphasis, only the emphasis of an exaggeration.

 

[wfooshee]

In that case, you really need the emphasis on the word "less". I've never in my life heard it spoken with sarcastic emphasis, only the emphasis of an exaggeration.

That is how it's said when I use it. Done it that way on purpose since I was a wee lad, knowing that the emphasis conveyed the sarcastic intent, and knowing that those who did not know better would have no clue what I meant.

 

[guska]

The times I use "I could care less", what I am meaning by it is "I am sure there is something else that I care about less than that, but I can't think of anything right now" (or similar)

Actualy I say "I couldn't give two squits" more than anything

 

[exigeracer]

Most figures of speech arn't used literally and many make a point without making the phrase itself making that point.

So why would you want to you I could care less if I couldn't care less portrays the feeling of not caring far more?

I can't recall ever seeing "I could care less" anywhere on GTPlanet.

This issue has been bothering me for a while, but I was prompted to create this thread because someone used it just today on GTP. I was just listening to Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia, a fine tune, and BJ Armstrong said I could care less. I was not impressed.

 

[Keef]

Squits, eh? Must be a Brit thing. Er, Aussie.

Exige, most people who listen to Green Day aren't worried about grammar. They just want good music.

 

[guska]

Nah, AFAIK, "Squits" is a gOoSe thing, I don't know a single person that says that, but it is basically a bastardisation of "I couldn't give two squirts of goat's p***"

 

[Keef]

Dude, I've totally heard Famine use Squits before. His STUMUK virus gave you SQUITS, remember? And did your name imply "one that gooses" or "one that operates a goose"?

 

[Sharky.]

I wouldn't let it effect you.

Another big peeve of mine. Again, something that just shoots through my brain and festers there.

Agreed. I also hate when people use "breaks" instead of "brakes" when referring, obviously, to what you find in your wheelarches [esp. in the GT4 forum] (gosh, I wouldn't want to find 4 breaks there...)

I also really dislike the use of "alot", instead of "a lot", which is how it should be written.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Let's not forget it's/its there/their/they're. Why can people not get keep these straight? How many years of English class is this hammered into our heads, yet it still cannot seem to stick? It, more than any other grammatical error, drives me up the wall.

Its - possesive - "Its antenna is broken."
It's - contraction of "it is" - "It's going to rain tonight."

Their - possesive - That is their car."
They're - contraction of "they are" - "They're going to the party tonight."
There - pronoun referring to placement - "The car is over there."

"They need a ride. They're going to the party over there but their car is in the shop. Its window is busted, it's going to cost $300 to fix".

There. It's so simple.

 

[Dave A]

So why would you want to you I could care less if I couldn't care less portrays the feeling of not caring far more?

Depends on the situation I guess, I have used both in the past but I don't tend to use either one of them. "I could care less" if more often than not said with sarcastic intenet anyway.

 

[Danny]

Depends on the situation I guess, I have used both in the past but I don't tend to use either one of them. "I could care less" if more often than not said with sarcastic intenet anyway.

Yes, that's write.

 

[Taurine]

Who actually cares?

 

[FormulaGT]

Let's not forget it's/its there/their/they're. Why can people not get keep these straight? How many years of English class is this hammered into our heads, yet it still cannot seem to stick? It, more than any other grammatical error, drives me up the wall.

Its - possesive - "Its antenna is broken."
It's - contraction of "it is" - "It's going to rain tonight."

Their - possesive - That is their car."
They're - contraction of "they are" - "They're going to the party tonight."
There - pronoun referring to placement - "The car is over there."

"They need a ride. They're going to the party over there but their car is in the shop. Its window is busted, it's going to cost $300 to fix".

There. It's so simple.

You've summed up possibly the most common grammatical error there, one that I've made many times. Two reasons come to mind for why they are mistaken. You'll either miss the apostrophe on the keyboard or you'll forget that 'its' can actually be written- the pronoun is used far more in spoken language than it is in formal writing.

Depends on the situation I guess, I have used both in the past but I don't tend to use either one of them. "I could care less" if more often than not said with sarcastic intenet anyway.

Originally Posted by live4speed
Most figures of speech arn't used literally and many make a point without making the phrase itself making that point.


So why would you want to you I could care less if I couldn't care less portrays the feeling of not caring far more?


Quote:
Originally Posted by ultrabeat
I can't recall ever seeing "I could care less" anywhere on GTPlanet.



This issue has been bothering me for a while, but I was prompted to create this thread because someone used it just today on GTP. I was just listening to Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia, a fine tune, and BJ Armstrong said I could care less. I was not impressed.

I couldn't care less = I could not possibly car less/I am not able to show a lower level of concern for x.

'I could care less' is more complex. it can be used to express disinterest, sarcasm, possibility etc... Quite contextual really.

FormulaGT

 

[Small_Fryz]

How did this thread get so many posts? Their cant possibly be a explination. Its like a miracle. I simply couldnt care less.













I always mix up their, there and they're and dont get me started on using ' correctly. I think you have to be quite picky on GTP to get irratated or annoyed when people miss these out. Posts mean and are read the same and generally if your smart enough to pick up the mistakes in the 1st place your smart enough to understand what they are trying to say.

 

[FoolKiller]

I was just listening to Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia, a fine tune, and BJ Armstrong said I could care less. I was not impressed.

I wasn't aware that Green Day was the epitome of grammar. I mean, way back on their Dookie CD they mixed the sex of the subject in Basket Case.

He said my life's a bore
So quit my whining cause
It's bringing her down

Might I suggest that you quit worrying about the language skills of pop/rock musicians?

Did you no that Pink Floyd used a double negative on what is arguably their most popular song?

We don't need no education.

Oh know!!!

I'm sure we could do this all day and buy the time we were finished you would be disappointed in all of your favorite musicians.

 

[Sage]

Might I suggest that you quit worrying about the language skills of pop/rock musicians?

Or find musicians who take great pride in their language skills.

I Palindrome I

“Son I am able,” she said “though you scare me.”
“Watch,” said I
“Beloved," I said “watch me scare you though.” said she,
“Able am I, Son.”​

Don’t Let’s Start

D, world destruction
Over and overture
N, do I need
Apostrophe T, need this torture?​