the daily snivel
Malapropism of the week
"I could care less"
I'm stretching the definition of "malapropism" a bit here by using it to refer to a misused turn of phrase (as opposed to a single word), but I still think it's appropriate in the context of the error made here. This is an expression that's become increasingly common on television and in everyday conversation, but really means the opposite of what people intend when they say it.
Saying "I could care less" really doesn't mean you don't care. It means you do care. It means "I care more about this than that thing I couldn't care less about.
So stop saying it.
Now, this expression could come in handy someday if you ever want me to stop hanging out with you and let leave me feeling like I haven't been dumped: use either this expression or the linguistic blunder "irregardless" and just watch me start making excuses that allow me to get as far away from you as I can.
Comments:I'm stretching the definition of "malapropism" a bit here by using it to refer to a misused turn of phrase (as opposed to a single word), but I still think it's appropriate in the context of the error made here. This is an expression that's become increasingly common on television and in everyday conversation, but really means the opposite of what people intend when they say it.
Saying "I could care less" really doesn't mean you don't care. It means you do care. It means "I care more about this than that thing I couldn't care less about.
So stop saying it.
Now, this expression could come in handy someday if you ever want me to stop hanging out with you and let leave me feeling like I haven't been dumped: use either this expression or the linguistic blunder "irregardless" and just watch me start making excuses that allow me to get as far away from you as I can.
I blame my high school English teacher for that one. I have always, always hated "I could care less" and insisted on the 'not', but she actually taught that "I couldn't care less," is improper because it's (somehow) a double negative.
I wonder if warped school teachers with that basic misunderstanding are the source of this one?
I wonder if warped school teachers with that basic misunderstanding are the source of this one?
