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Today's pet hate

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John Hall

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Dec 7, 2020, 5:57:08 AM12/7/20
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Why have people increasingly taken to saying "I could care less" when
they mean "I couldn't care less"? Can't they see that "I could care
less" ought logically to mean that they care a substantial amount?
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon

Tony Mountifield

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Dec 7, 2020, 6:15:49 PM12/7/20
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In article <1bLFo0BshgzfFw5R@jhall_nospamxx.co.uk>,
John Hall <jo...@jhall.co.uk> wrote:
> Why have people increasingly taken to saying "I could care less" when
> they mean "I couldn't care less"? Can't they see that "I could care
> less" ought logically to mean that they care a substantial amount?

It's an Americanism. I agree it doesn't make sense.

Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: to...@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: to...@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org

John Hall

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Dec 8, 2020, 5:42:44 AM12/8/20
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In message <rqmd1u$gn6$2...@softins.softins.co.uk>, Tony Mountifield
<to...@mountifield.org> writes
>In article <1bLFo0BshgzfFw5R@jhall_nospamxx.co.uk>,
>John Hall <jo...@jhall.co.uk> wrote:
>> Why have people increasingly taken to saying "I could care less" when
>> they mean "I couldn't care less"? Can't they see that "I could care
>> less" ought logically to mean that they care a substantial amount?
>
>It's an Americanism. I agree it doesn't make sense.

It seems to have caught on over here, unfortunately.

That is now yesterday's pet hate. Today's is "analytics", which I seem
to be reading and hearing with increasing frequency. What's wrong with
"analysis"? (My spell checker doesn't recognise "analytics", I'm pleased
to discover.)

Peter Duncanson

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Dec 10, 2020, 8:38:14 AM12/10/20
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On Mon, 7 Dec 2020 23:15:10 +0000 (UTC), to...@mountifield.org (Tony
Mountifield) wrote:

>In article <1bLFo0BshgzfFw5R@jhall_nospamxx.co.uk>,
>John Hall <jo...@jhall.co.uk> wrote:
>> Why have people increasingly taken to saying "I could care less" when
>> they mean "I couldn't care less"? Can't they see that "I could care
>> less" ought logically to mean that they care a substantial amount?
>
>It's an Americanism. I agree it doesn't make sense.
>
>Cheers
>Tony

I don't like it either, but it can make sense as irony.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony#Verbal_irony

Verbal irony is a statement in which the meaning that a speaker
employs is sharply different from the meaning that is ostensibly
expressed. An ironic statement usually involves the explicit
expression of one attitude or evaluation, but with indications in
the overall speech-situation that the speaker intends a very
different, and often opposite, attitude or evaluation.

From Oxford's Lexico:
https://www.lexico.com/definition/irony

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally
signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.


--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in uk.culture.language.english)

John Hall

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Dec 10, 2020, 11:42:23 AM12/10/20
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In message <sa84tf9sajdcd40vu...@4ax.com>, Peter Duncanson
<ma...@peterduncanson.net> writes
I don't think that those who use the expression are intending to be
ironic, though.

Peter Duncanson

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Dec 11, 2020, 5:28:44 AM12/11/20
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On Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:36:07 +0000, John Hall <john_...@jhall.co.uk>
wrote:
Agreed.
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