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The Figure of Speech That You Dislike The Most

I first became aware of this on a David Mitchell podcast.

The expression "I couldn't care less" is slowly but surely being replaced with people using the expression "I could care less" and meaning the same thing. Except it isn't grammatically correct. It's so obviously wrong, I thought it was a joke. Then I've started seeing it online...

 
Tarragon said:
I first became aware of this on a David Mitchell podcast.

The expression "I couldn't care less" is slowly but surely being replaced with people using the expression "I could care less" and meaning the same thing. Except it isn't grammatically correct. It's so obviously wrong, I thought it was a joke. Then I've started seeing it online...

Click to expand...

I've been hearing that since 1980, when my parents dragged me to live in rednecksville. Another example of people taking pride in being illiterate.

More recently emerging is companies/management claiming their products are 'future-proof'. That actually did start out as a joke … a nonsensical, unreachable, unprovable claim on spoof packaging for some nonexistent technology product, hilarious for it's absurdity (I wish I could remember the details) … the sad thing is that these managers don't get the joke, so they actually try to hold their employees responsible for achieving an impossibility.

And they say we don't understand humor …
 
Tarragon said:
I first became aware of this on a David Mitchell podcast.

The expression "I couldn't care less" is slowly but surely being replaced with people using the expression "I could care less" and meaning the same thing. Except it isn't grammatically correct. It's so obviously wrong, I thought it was a joke. Then I've started seeing it online...

Click to expand...

This one makes me foam at the mouth. Why would anyone completely abandon the meaning of a phrase just to save half a syllable?
 
Dark said:
This one makes me foam at the mouth. Why would anyone completely abandon the meaning of a phrase just to save half a syllable?
Click to expand...

Something I realized a long time ago, the vast majority of people don't pay attention to the meaning of their own words. Remember, these are the ones that expect us to ignore their random sounds and read their thoughts (as if that was actually possible). These same people get extremely hostile & defensive when you quote their own words back to them.
 
Tarragon said:
I first became aware of this on a David Mitchell podcast.

The expression "I couldn't care less" is slowly but surely being replaced with people using the expression "I could care less" and meaning the same thing. Except it isn't grammatically correct. It's so obviously wrong, I thought it was a joke. Then I've started seeing it online...

Click to expand...

DAVID MITCHELL IS MY NEW HERO!!! I need much more of him in my life!!

Thanks for that, I needed a laugh. Now I have to run off & see if it's actually a real podcast, and not just a series of videos on YouTube ... but that's a debate for another day. Thanks Tarragon!!
 
One came to me today, about certain people: You either love him or you hate him.

Inevitably, that means I have no strong feelings about him. o_O
 
Flinty said:
One came to me today, about certain people: You either love him or you hate him.

Inevitably, that means I have no strong feelings about him. o_O
Click to expand...

Actually, I take that differently. I would read that to mean that the person evokes strong feelings from everyone, but not necessarily the same strong feelings. Another word for that is 'polarizing'.

I first noticed this about dark chocolate. Almost everyone likes chocolate to some degree, as do I, but I dearly love dark chocolate. And then I noticed that any time I mentioned it, people got extremely passionate. Some shared my feelings, while others were thoroughly repulsed … but to this day, I don't think I've met a single person who said 'yea, it's ok … I don't mind.'

Try it for yourself, and let us know what you find, I'd love to know!
 
KassieMac said:
I first noticed this about dark chocolate. Almost everyone likes chocolate to some degree, as do I, but I dearly love dark chocolate. And then I noticed that any time I mentioned it, people got extremely passionate. Some shared my feelings, while others were thoroughly repulsed … but to this day, I don't think I've met a single person who said 'yea, it's ok … I don't mind.'

Try it for yourself, and let us know what you find, I'd love to know!
Click to expand...

I prefer milk chocolate but I think dark chocolate is OK. Sometimes Walgreens has ghirardelli bars on sale 2 for $4 and I will buy one milk, one dark.:p
 
Yes! More of David Mitchell! I 'could' care less?!?! Utterly nonsensical, and I am glad there is someone pointing out its obvious absurdity. 'Erbs?! Utterly ridiculous.
 
KassieMac said:
These same people get extremely hostile & defensive when you quote their own words back to them.
Click to expand...

Which makes me do it even more. I can be positively Sheldonesque when I'm in a particularly pedantic mood, and when what the other person is saying is just obvious nonsense.
 
...or should that be, 'obviously nonsensical'? I hope my grammar isn't deteriorating, due to exposure to high levels of grammatical absurdities like 'I could care less'. :(
 
Often someone will say very unique. I heard a retired university professor say it today. Unique means one of a kind so very unique is redundant.
 
Probably the only thing that really bugs me is the use of the term "VIN number".

A VIN is a vehicle identification number. No need to say "number" twice.
 
Tautologies from the Greek "tauto" meaning the same and "logos" meaning "word".

CD-ROM disc, GPS system, HIV virus, RAM memory, SARS syndrome, PIN number
 
I hate when people use the phrase, "My Bad" in response to a mistake. Did we not all go to school to learn to speak, write and spell properly? I do not care if people do not speak eloquently, but at least use proper English.
 
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