Re: careless

I think that's a pretty good assumption, Scottie -- that the meaning
stayed the same while the words changed around it. Seems like in the
70s as a kid I heard people saying, "I couldn't care less" all the
time. Then by the 80s I was hearing "I could care less" and "I couldn't
care less" pretty equally. I think that's still the case now, but I
could be wrong -- maybe the former is really more widespread.

It's just that, when I hear it, I imagine someone thinking deeply about
their feelings and finally concluding that yes, it is still possible for
them to care less...

Actually, that's a pretty good expression of contempt too if you think
about it :).

Jim

Scottie Bowman wrote:

> I was intrigued to read 'I could care less' when
> I first encountered American vernacular on
> the net. I made my usual assumption it was
> just one more example of Yank sloppiness
> or ignorance.
>
> Unless my hearing is faultier than I think, I've
> never come across it in these islands.
>
> 'Couldn't care less,' of course. All the time.
>
> Maybe this is the dynamic of language:
> an expression retaining its meaning while changing
> its form before our very eyes. Or, indeed,
> the converse? (What are the words for them thar,
> then, Matt?)
>
> Scottie B.
>
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Received on Sat Nov 9 08:56:46 2002