Grammatically, this word confusion couldn’t care less versus could care less means the opposite of each other and some consider it a figure of speech, in particular, an idiom.
As a practical usage, people use either one to mean the same thing with couldn’t being the earlier form. It appears that could didn’t come into usage until after 1949.
There are some interesting arguments that could care less means you do care some or that it should mean the opposite of couldn’t care less. But it is also noted that people who use the former mean they don’t care at all, which is what I couldn’t care less means.
Both phrases are informal, so stay away from them in formal writing, especially in academic and professional settings.
Careless is a completely different kettle of fish.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Might’a not be a Could’a, Would’a, Should’a.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Could Care Less | Couldn’t Care Less |
|---|---|
 — |
|
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Morpheme: the past tense or past participle of can
Modal Verb Phrase |
|
| Verb, modal: To be able to
|
|
| Examples: | |
| “He hasn’t heard from the department since. Apparently, they could care less” (Is).
“The writer evidently has no more heart for the appreciation of Canning and his errors than Lord Palmerston himself has, and evidently cares no more about Lord Palmerston, whom he tries to praise, than we ourselves do. It is impossible that he could care less” (Is). “His bearing towards male acquaintances, of whom he knew little or nothing and could care less, was marked by an affectation of gushing friendliness, which overdid itself” (Is). “I did love you with all the passion and love that is possible of a man (if you can call me a man in your idea) and now I could care less” (More). |
“Exasperated, she jumped up. ‘I couldn’t care less,’ she said, ‘whether you come or go'” (Is).
”I couldn’t care less,” said the hawklike man, “if you were Queen of the May. Now be a good girl, Lady Quorn, and try to be sensible for a change” (Is). ”’I couldn’t care less,’ responded Miss Mond lightly” (Is). ”’Ectulleh!’ exclaimed Mr. Faille, trying to keep the venom out of his voice” (Is). “I know many people who, if the archbishop were to be roasted, would go to get a bit of him, because he has yielded to the Catholics respecting giving children the whole Bible. But he goes on, and he could not care less for abuse if he were made of wood” (Aikin). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: couldn’t-care-less | |
| History of the Word: | |
| One source claims could care less with its understood negative is from 1955. |
By the 1670s, the contraction could + not appeared.
One etymologic source says couldn’t care less appeared in 1946 while another states that the uncontracted form, could not care less, appears to have been in use since the 19th century. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Could Care Less vs Couldn’t Care Less
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Aikin, Lucy. Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth. Originally published 1864. Gutenberg, 2007. <https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21500>. Book.
Apple Dictionary.com
“Couldn’t.” Etymonline.com. Updated 28 Sept 2017. Accessed 21 Nov 2024. <https://www.etymonline.com/word/couldn%27t>. Article.
“Is It ‘Could’ or ‘Couldn’t Care Less’?.” Merriam-Webster. n.d. Accessed 19 Nov 2024. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-less>. Article. I did get a kick out of “Can you care fewer?”.
“More About Caring Less.” Grammarphobia. 28 Dec 2012. Last updated 19 Mar 2021. Accessed 21 Nov 2024. <https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/12/more-about-caring-less.html>. Article. Excellent article!
Spinks, Hailey. “‘I Couldn’t Care Less’ vs. ‘I Could Care Less’ — Which Is Correct?” Grammarly. 19 Oct 2023. Accessed 21 Nov 2024. <https://www.grammarly.com/blog/commonly-confused-words/couldnt-care-less/>. Article.
“What is the Difference Between I Couldn’t Care Less and I Could Care Less.” Britannica. n.d. Accessed 21 Nov 2024. <https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/What-is-the-Difference-between-I-Couldn-t-Care-Less-and-I-Could-Care-Less>. Article.
Pinterest Photo Credits
I Don’t Care by Dwipal is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr.
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