I could care less/I could give a damn

[Fran2023]

Trivial I know, but I’m trying to keep my mind off the mess that the world is in.

Does it bother anyone else when you hear or read someone saying ‘I could care less’ when they mean ‘I couldn’t care less’ ?

What this mistake means is the opposite to the what they (appear) to mean. For example: ‘I could give a damn that you need a lift to the station. I’m busy!’

Anyway, just wanted to share and as it’s only me and the cat this morning and she told me that she ‘could care less’ I’m posting here.

@MasterBeth I pronounce drawers with one syllable myself 🤣

Should be “off of me”?

Get off of that roof! Get out of that box! Etc.

But surely you would say “get off the roof” making the second of redundant, but I admit I could be wrong. And I should have read what I wrote as I did write off, of but autocorrect knows better.

Is "off, off" a mispronunciation of "off of"?

“They done”, “she done” I find really jarring. Especially when the rest of the post is written correctly.

Colloquially yes, but the fact that that structure doesn’t work with ‘get out’ makes me think the correct version is to use ‘of’ as well as ‘off’. I could be wrong though, happy to be corrected if anyone knows for sure?
(Or maybe the ‘out of’ construction has led to people colloquially using ‘off of’. Or is that what I said to begin with? 🫣)

Phrasal verbs are a bugger, mind, and THAT I feel sure is true!!

Onthesideofthespiders · 03/12/2024 08:17

It’s not correct. They started using it wrong and it caught on. Doesn’t make it correct. It’s wrong.
The educated Americans I know say it properly.

Indeed, Elphaba corrected Glinda in Wicked. My 11 year old went "Yesss!" very quietly.

It's the American way of saying it. Say no more 😉

I once heard an American try and pass it off as sarcasm! Like 'I could care less' but sarcastically. Because they couldn't admit they were just wrong haha.

The whole 'I brought a house' thing makes my teeth itch.

Have we had 'bring' when it should be 'take' yet?

I think we need a nationwide campaign about the use of less vs fewer.

I think that's the least of it - lose/loose, brought/bought and could of/should of etc are far worse.

Well woof to you too lady and the horse you rode in on.

You can't have him, he's mine.
Signed,
Victoria!

An example of the error that annoys me most on this site:

'When I was pregnant on my first baby.'

It baffles me why someone would replace 'with' with 'on' but I've seen it used a lot 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ten articles or fewer.

Thank you. Always willing to be corrected!

But surely it tells you to be less judgemental? You get things wrong too so let people talk
how they want to.

Adding another one seen today. Adverse instead of averse eg “I’m very risk adverse”. No no no.

Have to admit that I despaired a little inside when I saw the "8 items or less" at a local Sainsbury's. Waitrose had it correct, naturally but I shouldn't have to pay extra for correct grammar..

Similarly, I was all in on the Stannis Baratheon campaign in GOT due to his attention to detail. Then he.. iykyk... and I felt betrayed.

"The proof is in the pudding." No, it's not! "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

There are so many people who dont know how to use the words lose and loose and also bring and take, and in which context to use them correctly!!! eg. Everyday, he brings the dog to the park and looses it!! It should be he takes the dog to the park and loses it! those two misuses really annoy the shit out of me!!

borrow lend!! can you borrow me a cup of sugar??

and the one which has been up and coming is "yous"!!!!! you is a mass noun! you don't say sheeps! you say sheep!

@Jagoda Arks is perfectly acceptable from people of West Indian heritage. why are they entitled to special dispensation?????