One of the more troublesome expressions is “could not care less.” It’s frequently written “could care less” even though the three words have an effect opposite what was intended.
A person who could care less actually cares a great or small deal. If Mr. Smith actually cares about the curtains Mrs. Smith hangs in the formal living room, he would notice that their color changes from one day to the next. He does not care, which means he “could not care less” – a point of no small irritation to Mrs. Smith. She may not care all that much about the curtains, but she does care that he notice her work around the house.
A person who doesn’t care at all is one who could not care less. It’s the case of the curtains or the throw pillows or the color of the everyday china. One person might care about those details; another might not. It is a recipe for quibbles and requires either that one person care a little more or that the other person be content with the fact that the other doesn’t care in the slightest.
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