In Australia, the phrase is "couldn't care less". Even when Americans say they could care less, they often really mean they couldn't care less, which is the exact opposite of what they said.
you could use it as a sort of subtle protest against the tendency towards hyperbole inherent in expressions of that kind - because in virtually all situations where you'd use that expression, you COULD indeed care less.
I doubt that the people saying it are protesting over the overuse of hyperbole in that context. A more plausible idea is that they are illiterate, and have no idea that what they are saying is contradictory to their thoughts.
Ὦ ξεῖν', ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε
κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
America's Quirks noticed by Non-Americans
07/11/2011 06:55:22 PM
- 2214 Views
Wait, in Europe they leave soap on dishes to dry?
07/11/2011 08:25:33 PM
- 1283 Views
It's very regional. They always do that in that other country where they are insane. Like denmark. *NM*
07/11/2011 09:18:26 PM
- 614 Views
I had to ask one of the Brits I worked with about that one
08/11/2011 04:48:11 PM
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I can't even imagine not rinsing them. Like you, I didn't realize anyone did that? *NM*
08/11/2011 04:55:33 PM
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Depends on how much washing-up liquid you put in the water.
09/11/2011 08:13:51 AM
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I don't think it's different.
09/11/2011 04:30:58 PM
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It isn't. I was going to say exactly the same thing about the laziness and "soap."
09/11/2011 05:42:44 PM
- 1100 Views
We are talking about washing dishes by hand, right?
09/11/2011 06:50:09 PM
- 961 Views
Yes. And here's the difference between what you do and what I do:
09/11/2011 07:08:06 PM
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EWIE!!! I can't imagine eating soap with every meal... That can't be good for you. *NM*
10/11/2011 01:48:16 AM
- 628 Views
Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things?
07/11/2011 08:27:24 PM
- 1199 Views
The problem with these things is that you always get the entire US answering them
07/11/2011 09:32:07 PM
- 1045 Views
I'm guessing everybody who's been to the US outside NYC, then.
07/11/2011 09:42:10 PM
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No pretty much everywhere in the US people use plastic 99% of the time *NM*
08/11/2011 12:31:49 AM
- 656 Views
This totally depends where you are.
08/11/2011 12:57:11 AM
- 1182 Views
Once again, that isn't what they were talking about
08/11/2011 01:29:19 PM
- 1118 Views
You know I worked in a store, right?
08/11/2011 01:49:36 PM
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I repeat: I have NEVER seen someone pay by check in a store since 1989. *NM*
08/11/2011 01:56:59 PM
- 640 Views
I know you travel quite frequently, but I'll refer you to Paul's comment above re: New York. *NM*
08/11/2011 02:10:36 PM
- 678 Views
I spent 1990-1999 in the South, you know. *NM*
08/11/2011 02:46:19 PM
- 538 Views
I knew you'd gotten around.
08/11/2011 03:06:20 PM
- 1122 Views
I would call one to two checks a week pretty rare
08/11/2011 06:28:59 PM
- 982 Views
Which is still more often than places that never use them.
08/11/2011 06:58:30 PM
- 1124 Views
Oops. This is Jen. Don't start attacking! Eep. *NM*
08/11/2011 06:59:09 PM
- 616 Views
Always good to see couples know each other's passwords
08/11/2011 07:19:18 PM
- 1066 Views
I think I know it, but I actually was accidentally in his account. He put the computer down.
08/11/2011 08:08:45 PM
- 1021 Views
*I* at least was mostly thinking about rent checks. But yes, I've seen it in stores too.
08/11/2011 09:47:58 PM
- 1066 Views
so paper checks are history in ???
08/11/2011 10:51:01 PM
- 983 Views
Belgium. *NM*
08/11/2011 11:13:22 PM
- 546 Views
Rent checks. Utility checks. *NM*
07/11/2011 10:47:58 PM
- 794 Views
Exactly - instead of automated bank transfers. *NM*
07/11/2011 10:50:39 PM
- 629 Views
They still do this in Britain too.
08/11/2011 01:13:52 AM
- 1059 Views
What's weirdest about British rent...
08/11/2011 09:48:43 PM
- 1200 Views
Re: Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things?
08/11/2011 05:52:19 PM
- 998 Views
I pay the chiropractor with a check. He doesn't have a card reader and I never have cash.
08/11/2011 10:56:47 PM
- 925 Views
Can you buy alcohol in the US at any time?
07/11/2011 08:41:41 PM
- 1069 Views
In most countries of Europe you can too, to my knowledge... as long as the store is open.
07/11/2011 09:43:47 PM
- 1055 Views
I t varies ste to state or even county to county and city to city
08/11/2011 12:35:27 AM
- 1088 Views
We can turn right on a red light too
07/11/2011 09:48:38 PM
- 1220 Views
Really? I thought that was unique to the US.
08/11/2011 12:34:14 PM
- 1338 Views
The French can do it too.
08/11/2011 03:34:39 PM
- 991 Views
The French are shameless; first they stole our national colors, now this.
09/11/2011 01:19:47 PM
- 1003 Views
That's mostly Italy, France is not so bad.
09/11/2011 08:02:51 PM
- 886 Views
That makes sense, but I have heard horrible tales about French farmers in trucks.
09/11/2011 10:24:01 PM
- 872 Views
Cops
08/11/2011 06:31:08 PM
- 1016 Views
It is important to distinguish between cautious and combative attitudes.
09/11/2011 02:24:43 PM
- 1200 Views
If there's a green right-turn filter light, then you aren't turning right on a red at all . *NM*
08/11/2011 03:33:36 PM
- 563 Views
It's not a light. It's a sign of a green arrow
08/11/2011 03:47:22 PM
- 982 Views
But it's a light that goes on and off.
08/11/2011 06:02:48 PM
- 948 Views
Yes, a permanent sign.
08/11/2011 06:18:26 PM
- 953 Views
Ah, I see. We don't have those, so I thought you meant something different.
08/11/2011 06:47:23 PM
- 898 Views
For me, the strangest thing is the phrase "could care less"
07/11/2011 10:43:54 PM
- 1145 Views
In fairness...
07/11/2011 10:50:13 PM
- 1160 Views
Well,
08/11/2011 04:43:31 AM
- 1080 Views
I think that's just a case of it being said too quickly and slurred too much
08/11/2011 02:14:14 AM
- 945 Views
"you have another thing coming" and "it all goes well" grrrrrrrrrrr
08/11/2011 10:19:27 AM
- 1154 Views
Your last question, and a variation of it, was my recurrent thought while reading the list.
08/11/2011 12:38:53 PM
- 1047 Views
that is really what stood out to you the most going from Australia to the US?
08/11/2011 04:45:21 PM
- 982 Views
It's "couldn't care less" in America, or at least it is in the part where I live. *NM*
08/11/2011 06:01:50 PM
- 534 Views
It's couldn't care less everywhere- some people just say it incorrectly. *NM*
08/11/2011 06:09:08 PM
- 574 Views
Interesting about the flag.
08/11/2011 04:16:12 AM
- 1069 Views
I wonder how much of that is American and how much is European culture.
08/11/2011 12:53:15 PM
- 1024 Views
More like "we tend to equate respecting a flag with liking a country"
08/11/2011 01:57:26 PM
- 1113 Views
Part of it is, as Joel notes, a general European trauma that isn't shared by some.
08/11/2011 09:56:22 PM
- 1130 Views
Because my husband lived in England and has family there, I knew some of these. BUT...
08/11/2011 12:42:07 PM
- 1123 Views
It varies here, it's certainly not unusual to have a space between.
08/11/2011 10:00:38 PM
- 1109 Views
Huh. Only ever saw those holes in the ground in Belgium. and had to pay to use them.
09/11/2011 03:28:35 PM
- 1053 Views
I've never seen them in Belgium - nor in France outside highway parkings, to be fair.
09/11/2011 08:05:09 PM
- 1045 Views
When I was in England we saw way more flags than we typically see in the US.
08/11/2011 01:32:47 PM
- 1122 Views
So many fat people.
09/11/2011 01:19:24 AM
- 1189 Views
We do have high calorie intake and low inclination to exercise. *NM*
09/11/2011 01:26:40 AM
- 613 Views
That's half-true
09/11/2011 02:09:48 AM
- 1033 Views
I think there was a Family Guy episode about this.
09/11/2011 02:27:07 PM
- 1086 Views
Re: I think there was a Family Guy episode about this.
09/11/2011 02:33:18 PM
- 1079 Views
Ah, that makes a difference.
09/11/2011 03:05:44 PM
- 1001 Views