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COULD CARE LESS, OR COULDN"T ?

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Alex+R Veteran

Alex+R   0

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Brazil
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To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

:yes: correct!

:no: I think it IS a double negative - "less" is a negative word that indicated the absence of something. Think of "I don't want none" - that's a double negative for the same reason.

Grammar experts?

As a professional grammarian, I'll agree that "I could care less" is NOT a double negative. While in many languages, notably the romance languages, a double negative is required to negate a statement, in English it's forbidden. We only need ONE word. "I can't run" is correct; "I can't not run" is...stupid. Less is not a negative in this phrase, it's an adverb.

The REAL grammar crime committed every day with "less" occurs when people think "less" and "fewer" are the same. If you can count it, it's fewer, people! Less water, fewer glasses. Less crime, fewer victims.

:gets off soapbox:

*Alexandra*

(I did it)

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pedroh Grand Master

pedroh   21

Posted
Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Mexico
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Posted

To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

:yes: correct!

:no: I think it IS a double negative - "less" is a negative word that indicated the absence of something. Think of "I don't want none" - that's a double negative for the same reason.

Grammar experts?

As a professional grammarian, I'll agree that "I could care less" is NOT a double negative. While in many languages, notably the romance languages, a double negative is required to negate a statement, in English it's forbidden. We only need ONE word. "I can't run" is correct; "I can't not run" is...stupid. Less is not a negative in this phrase, it's an adverb.

The REAL grammar crime committed every day with "less" occurs when people think "less" and "fewer" are the same. If you can count it, it's fewer, people! Less water, fewer glasses. Less crime, fewer victims.

:gets off soapbox:

it's not forbidden if you take dialects as 'accepted english forms"... it ain't nuthing.. et al..

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regalame una sonrisita con sabor a viento

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Alex+R Veteran

Alex+R   0

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Brazil
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Posted

To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

:yes: correct!

:no: I think it IS a double negative - "less" is a negative word that indicated the absence of something. Think of "I don't want none" - that's a double negative for the same reason.

Grammar experts?

As a professional grammarian, I'll agree that "I could care less" is NOT a double negative. While in many languages, notably the romance languages, a double negative is required to negate a statement, in English it's forbidden. We only need ONE word. "I can't run" is correct; "I can't not run" is...stupid. Less is not a negative in this phrase, it's an adverb.

The REAL grammar crime committed every day with "less" occurs when people think "less" and "fewer" are the same. If you can count it, it's fewer, people! Less water, fewer glasses. Less crime, fewer victims.

:gets off soapbox:

it's not forbidden if you take dialects as 'accepted english forms"... it ain't nuthing.. et al..

That's true, but to even have a concept of "grammar rules" at all, you have to accept a standard English and its importance. Otherwise, anything goes.

I struggle with that a lot because standard English discriminates against populations who don't speak that English at home.

Nevertheless it has its rules...

*Alexandra*

(I did it)

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nayalamb Proficient

nayalamb   0

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PlatyPius Experienced

PlatyPius   5

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hehehehe....

I admit it..... I'm a grammar nazi.

Lady, people aren't chocolates. Do you know what they are mostly? Bastards. ####### coated bastards with ####### filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive bobble-headed optimists who walk around vomiting sunshine.
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ghallett Explorer

ghallett   0

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While you're on the subject, it kind of irritates me when my wife uses the word "fourth" instead of "quarter". It also makes me cringe when she calls the toilet the "commode". Maybe I'm wrong but I always thought a commode was a seat that can turn into a toilet if required.

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Cristy Proficient

Cristy   4

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
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To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

:yes: correct!

:no: I think it IS a double negative - "less" is a negative word that indicated the absence of something. Think of "I don't want none" - that's a double negative for the same reason.

Grammar experts?

If you don't want none you want some.

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Yodrak Veteran

Yodrak   7

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Filed: Timeline
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Alex+R,

The question was whether "I couldn't care less" is a double negative?

Yodrak

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

:yes: correct!

:no: I think it IS a double negative - "less" is a negative word that indicated the absence of something. Think of "I don't want none" - that's a double negative for the same reason.

Grammar experts?

As a professional grammarian, I'll agree that "I could care less" is NOT a double negative. While in many languages, notably the romance languages, a double negative is required to negate a statement, in English it's forbidden. We only need ONE word. "I can't run" is correct; "I can't not run" is...stupid. Less is not a negative in this phrase, it's an adverb.

The REAL grammar crime committed every day with "less" occurs when people think "less" and "fewer" are the same. If you can count it, it's fewer, people! Less water, fewer glasses. Less crime, fewer victims.

:gets off soapbox:

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Elizabethnhenry Proficient

Elizabethnhenry   0

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Filed: K-3 Visa Country: Jamaica
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Posted (edited)

To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

Correct grammar requires you to say "If it were"...requires the subjunctive tense. ;)

(That's right. It never ends. :no: )

Edited by Elizabethnhenry

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Hilarious Clinton Grand Master

Hilarious Clinton   452

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Solomon Islands
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Posted

To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

Correct grammar requires you to say "If it were"...requires the subjunctive tense. ;)

(That's right. It never ends. :no: )

Great catch!!!! If we all only spoke Esperanto.

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies."

Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006



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Jenn! Grand Master

Jenn!   918

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Morocco
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To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

Correct grammar requires you to say "If it were"...requires the subjunctive tense. ;)

(That's right. It never ends. :no: )

Great catch!!!! If we all only spoke Esperanto.

Wandering adverb alert! If we all only spoke Esperanto, then what? Don't you mean, "If only we all spoke Esperanto"?

:lol:

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Alex+R Veteran

Alex+R   0

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Brazil
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Posted

Yodrak: That's what I meant. "I could care less' is not even a negative statement at all.

Lucky Strike: I SOOOOOOOOO tried to restrain myself from the "was/were" thing, because the past subjunctive in English is now considered optional. By some. I vastly prefer "If I were."

*Alexandra*

(I did it)

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Hilarious Clinton Grand Master

Hilarious Clinton   452

Posted
Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Solomon Islands
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Posted

To say one couldn't care less means that one is totally disinterested and one doesn't care at all.

'couldn't care less' is a double negative. it means I 'could care'

No it isn't. There are not 2 negatives there. IF it was I couldn't not care less it would be a double negative.

Correct grammar requires you to say "If it were"...requires the subjunctive tense. ;)

(That's right. It never ends. :no: )

Great catch!!!! If we all only spoke Esperanto.

Wandering adverb alert! If we all only spoke Esperanto, then what? Don't you mean, "If only we all spoke Esperanto"?

:lol:

I have more than 'wandering adverbs'. :lol:

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies."

Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006



barack-cowboy-hat.jpg
90f.JPG

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ChasUK Enthusiast

ChasUK   0

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Country: United Kingdom
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Can I just say that before Tracy and I were an item, we chatted on the same message board. One day she pulled me up on my spelling, (jokingly of course), and signed off as The Grammar Police.

Some time later she misspelled the word "misspelled", I jumped all over that one and signed off as Captain Chas Iymchekin of The Grammar Police Internal Affairs. Shortly after this we fell in love and here we now are on another message board, sorting out me emigrating. :)

prestoportaitww0.jpg

My Timeline is the same as TracyTN

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Alex+R Veteran

Alex+R   0

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Brazil
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Posted
Can I just say that before Tracy and I were an item, we chatted on the same message board. One day she pulled me up on my spelling, (jokingly of course), and signed off as The Grammar Police.

Some time later she misspelled the word "misspelled", I jumped all over that one and signed off as Captain Chas Iymchekin of The Grammar Police Internal Affairs. Shortly after this we fell in love and here we now are on another message board, sorting out me emigrating. :)

Hee hee, that is very cute :) I KNEW there was something magical about grammar. It brings people together!

*Alexandra*

(I did it)

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