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Author Topic: Some could... I couldn't!  (Read 4235 times)

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Offline bloodlineTopic starter

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Some could... I couldn't!
« on: March 26, 2006, 03:05:20 PM »
It's interesting that some American's state that they have the ability to care less to indicate that they find something unteresting... where as other Americans and British people, state that it wouldn't be possible for them to have any less interest in the subject...

I find it very interesting as the former implies the speaker still has interest in the subject... the latter states that the speaker is currently at the lowest level of their interest in the subject and thus seems more semantically correct... how do others here feel?
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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2006, 08:23:26 PM »
The Gospel according to Matthew. ;-)
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Offline bloodlineTopic starter

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2006, 08:32:35 PM »
Quote

mdma wrote:
The Gospel according to Matthew. ;-)


Believe it or not, this is something like the 10th revision and by far the most readable...

But most probably couldn't care less... others probably could :crazy:
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Offline Wilse

Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2006, 02:59:49 PM »
Quote

bloodline wrote:
It's interesting that some American's state that they have the ability to care less to indicate that they find something unteresting... where as other Americans and British people, state that it wouldn't be possible for them to have any less interest in the subject...


I've always taken "I could care less" as being incorrect, in the same way that you'll notice many people, again mostly North Americans, using "more then" where "more than" would be correct.

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Offline cecilia

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2006, 12:04:13 AM »
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Wilse wrote:

I've always taken "I could care less" as being incorrect, in the same way that you'll notice many people, again mostly North Americans, using "more then" where "more than" would be correct.

"I could care less" is New York slang. It means "I don't care at all". It's all in HOW it's said, however. which is something i can't convey in a post. Although rolling one's eyes probabaly helps show ones complete disinterest.  :roll:
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Offline jkirk

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2006, 12:20:58 AM »
Quote

cecilia wrote:
Quote

Wilse wrote:

I've always taken "I could care less" as being incorrect, in the same way that you'll notice many people, again mostly North Americans, using "more then" where "more than" would be correct.

"I could care less" is New York slang. It means "I don't care at all". It's all in HOW it's said, however. which is something i can't convey in a post. Although rolling one's eyes probabaly helps show ones complete disinterest.  :roll:


or confusion :crazy:
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Offline cecilia

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2006, 12:35:37 AM »
oh, no, there's NO confusion when a New Yorker says they 'could care less'. there's ABSOLUTELY no problem being able to see the revoltion of being asked to be interested in a topic that one is clearly NOT interested in.

really.
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Offline Agafaster

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2006, 04:56:03 PM »
at university in leeds, doing physics, one of my fellow Nottingham natives got so bogged down with the concepts he practically invented 'give a sh!t...' as I couldnt...you get the picture !!

couldnt care less - my interest is already at absolute zero. you could freeze helium3 on my care for the subject in question...

couldnt give a monkeys/sh!t/toss are usual expressions among the English.
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Offline Wilse

Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2006, 07:22:15 PM »
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"I could care less" is New York slang.


Slang for "I couldn't care less"?

 :-?
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Offline Karlos

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2006, 09:16:15 PM »
From the way Cecilia puts it, seems to me like the NY version of the expression could be a contraction of a rhetorical question; something like "(As if) I could care less?", maybe?
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Offline cecilia

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2006, 09:47:16 PM »
yes, it's something like that. but add a face pinched like there's a bad smell somewhere.
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Offline Karlos

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2006, 11:28:33 PM »
The best commentary on NY language was given by Donald Sutherland's character in Kelly's Heroes when addressing one of their group regarding the storming of the town where the bank is guarded:

"To a New Yorker like you, a 'hero' is some weird sandwich, not some nut who takes on three tigers!"

(as in Tiger Tanks, that is)
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Offline jkirk

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2006, 06:39:22 PM »
Quote

cecilia wrote:
oh, no, there's NO confusion when a New Yorker says they 'could care less'. there's ABSOLUTELY no problem being able to see the revoltion of being asked to be interested in a topic that one is clearly NOT interested in.

really.


Quote
Although rolling one's eyes probabaly helps show ones complete disinterest. :roll:


 
should have clarified

see eyes :-)
see eyes roll :roll:
see eyes rolling  :crazy:

i was just messin' with ya.  
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Offline jkirk

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2006, 06:42:20 PM »
Quote

Karlos wrote:
From the way Cecilia puts it, seems to me like the NY version of the expression could be a contraction of a rhetorical question; something like "(As if) I could care less?", maybe?


bingo!!!

at least that is true here in georgis.

things like this spread like a plague here in the us DUDE!
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Offline jkirk

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Re: Some could... I couldn't!
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2006, 06:44:40 PM »
Quote

Karlos wrote:
The best commentary on NY language was given by Donald Sutherland's character in Kelly's Heroes when addressing one of their group regarding the storming of the town where the bank is guarded:

"To a New Yorker like you, a 'hero' is some weird sandwich, not some nut who takes on three tigers!"

(as in Tiger Tanks, that is)


ah man my second favorite movie

"knock it off with the negative waves!"
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