Could care less

[troglodyto]

it doesn't bother me, because it's used so much that it's acceptable. i don't take it literally, i know it's intended meaning.

[TokeArteest]

@troglodyto Oh.. It's universally acceptable? I don't accept it. I correct people and then I enjoy looking at their face when they come to that realization that they've been using the common phrase wrong for so long. This bothers me as much as it bothers me when ppl rite lyk dis, u kno?

[troglodyto]

@TokeArteest why does it bother people though? is it just snobbery? it's obviously "incorrect" if taken literally, but who takes it literally? its intended meaning is understood. it's no different from phrases like "taking the piss", for example, which is also "incorrect" in the literal sense, but whose meaning is understood.

[bmhyakiri]

I hate this, people say it all the damn time and I always call them out. So stupid.

[rightleftwinger]

i assumed when i first heard it that it was sarcastic; i.e. in the manner that you would respond to someone asking you how the soup was, "it could be worse, i suppose" in saying that it was terrible. thus, "i could care less" has an implied sarcastic "i suppose" at the end. of course, it's probably just a linguistic accident with nothing to do with my explanation, but that's how i've always justified it in my head.

[Capaverde]

i could care less about this rant

[austinb47]

i could care less about you

you ha'll are dum dums

[OscarLp33t]

This rant reminds me of one of David MItchell's soap box....

[agnY]

My level of caring is -1. How's that?

[MisterScorpius]

I used to do this to piss off my friend who's a total linguistic/grammar nazi.

It is pretty stupid though

[JamesCalico]

some of us say couldn't care less

[LaurieWilliams5066]

Now, if Americans could learn to write dates logically, instead of [month] of [day] of [year] ...

[magnusm1]

@LaurieWilliams5066 I could(n't) agree more.

[LaurieWilliams5066]

Cleese is right again.

[supersweeper59]

I literally looked this up because I saw a poster that said "you could care less" and just shook my head

[MrGBH]

@supersweeper59 You cared enough to shake your head in response. If you cared less you wouldn't have.

[danguy2009]

Argh, I see this across web forums everywhere and feel like screaming. its just like when poeple put cutted and putted instead if cut and put!

[HaslamCorp]

AMEN!

[subductionzone]

I was about to tear John a new one for using one of my pet peeves that I hear British people use. They very often say "I don't care a tall." When I hear that I am tempted to ask them if they "care a short". But John ruined it for me. His diction was precise and he said "don't care at all". Grrr :D

[Mynamesnigel]

@subductionzone Well that is just pronunciation. It isn't misuse of common sense. "I could care less" is just stupid.

[Katana4real]

@subductionzone ???

[RinRanRyan]

Did David Mitchell plagiarise this?? In his soapbox series he talks about this and even uses the graph in the same way....?

[penisfuckeye]

My sentiments exactly Mr. Cleese.

[shaggylives33]

I could care less about this video, but I won't.

[MrBastilleDay]

Could...not....POSSIBLY....car­e ....less!

[WisemanSam599]

I think that the problem is that everybody who says "could care less" couldn't care less that they should be saying "couldn't care less".

[Gadgetgirl1966]

Spot on Mr Cleese!

[GHeroandRScape]

0:57 Air BJ

[RedCrescentDemon]

I agree. But for the sake of its popular use and meaning, I'm still making "coudln't care less" = 0 care.

[HipHopJun]

I'm American and I hate it when people do this.  I do my best to not be an asshole when correcting people about this phrase. Nobody likes a grammar nazi :(

[Mynamesnigel]

its like saying "I would mind having that slice of cake" instead of "I wouldn't mind having that slice of cake" if you want the cake.

WAKEN UP AMERICA

[DubaiVol]

Idiomatic expressions are often not literally true. The idea that a well-understood idiomatic expression is wrong is absurd. When I say "I could care less" everyone understands that I could not care less. Of all people, the English should understand this. "Not bad" means very good. "Charming" means not at all charming. "How clever" often means "you idiot."

Just accept that "I could care less" means "I care so little that it is impossible to care less, and I am being snarky about it.

[Mynamesnigel]

@DubaiVol Lmao are you an idiot? You used sarcastic phrases to back up your arguement? "I could care less" is NOT sarcasm it is just general idiocy from Americans.

[CandyHam]

i've heard enough of this "oh but its sarcasm!" shit. Fuck off. You're wrong. It doesn't make sense as sarcasm. It doesn't make sense at all.

The expression is "I couldn't care less".

Figure it out.

Rock and roll.

Deal with it.

[mark1m]

@CandyHam This is the most brilliant post anyone has ever made in the history of the internet. Making einstein look like a retard with your logic.

Since you dont understand irony, enjoy what you probably think is a compliment.

[Graysonson]

So right. The Americans really need to learn to say "I couldn't care less" rather than "I could care less". The British know how to say this properly, and the Americans are almost as smart as them, so they could give it a try.

[tomthecool]

Haha I was thinking exactly what he was saying, when I read the title of this video!!

[MattitudeEra]

Yay! Fuck the illiterates!

[XxColdFusionxX]

At the age of 14 I realized how everyone said "I could care less" made no sense and have been saying it the correct way since. America, I love you, but your general public which I am sadly a part of are mostly blundering idiots..

[mark1m]

It must be nice to only have the mental capacity to view every saying in a literal manner.

See what i did there...? actually, if you dont understand the phrase "i could care less", you probably dont.

[yurismir1]

@mark1m Thank you. You seem to be the only one here with any intelligence.

[mark1m]

@yurismir1 took 3 moths but someone finally noticed, i thought my execution was expertly done. By showing a compliment of intelligence if you viewed my statement literally, or an insult of intelligence if you viewed my statement with irony

Which is a direct correlation to the phrase "i could care less" if you understand irony, it makes sense... if you dont understand irony, you probably think the phrase is stupid.

[streamingmadly]

All right Mr. Cleese: Why do you Brits say "Wooster" when it's spelled Worcester?

[eldunenorap]

@streamingmadly I would imagine a similar reason to why Americans say Arkansaw, when it's spelled Arkansas

[strangeones4]

@eldunenorap

Then you hear this comparison, "ALU min*I*um" (UK !?!?) , vs. "A Luminum" (Reynolds Metals likes the American version). The British call a car trunk a "boot", a four door car a "saloon", instead of a sedan, and likes to add a "u" to words such as "colour", or "rumour". Oh how we are crazy different!?! As if the local slang of Britain never pronounced a word differently from it's original phonetic spelling.

[strangeones4]

@strangeones4 What many of you on the other side of the pond don't know is that "I could care less", is the polite way of saying "I don't give a sh*t". Now when an American says, "I don't give a sh*t", he is logically saying, he would rather hold in his bowl movement rather than help or care about your problem. Outside of the Northeast corridor of the US, people tend to not be so blunt. In Boston, NYC, and Philadelphia it's "I Don't Give a Sh*t" (rat's as* has been used too) .

[eldunenorap]

@strangeones4 The original spelling was Aluminum (as in the US use). Brits added the i to make it consistent with other elements: Uranium, Plutonium, etc. British didn't add any letters to colour etc - the are Anglicised versions of French words, which have a "u" in them - Americans removed the U from their spellings! Though they have yet to do it with the word "glamour", which is odd.

[buckbumble]

@streamingmadly Why do Americans pronounce 'herbs' as 'erbs'?

[strangeones4]

@buckbumble Why do Britons pronounce Vincent Van Gogh, as Vincent Van Goff?

[buckbumble]

@strangeones4 Good one! I don't know why? But unfortunately, we are both wrong on that one. The "ogh" sound is actually pronounced "ock", so it is neither "off" or "goh".

As for Worcester. Well, Wooster is just quicker to say lol.

[strangeones4]

@buckbumble LOL, either you're Stephen Fry, or have watched a lot of "Qi". Great response! So the "uncultured" Americans' went for "goh" because it sounded Dutch/French, and they felt more sophisticated. As for "Wooster" you have schooled me again. My mothers' grandparents lived in Worcester, MA. I clearly remember my mother saying "Wooster" when I was young. Yet today they don't say "Wooster". They call the city by it's proper name. Think "Bal-mer" (Baltimore).

[Alexc3217]

@strangeones4 I say it correctly, but because my art teacher whined about it alot.

[SystematicInfoAddict]

"I could care less" is appropriate if used as a warning for the other person to shut up.

[trombone7]

@SystematicInfoAddict You're right. Someone who is both angry and dumb enough to say "I could care less" is probably a hazard to those around him.

[Admiralandrian]

I could probably afford to care less about this.

[TornadoCreator]

I love John Cleese, he's a smart man who manages to get across points that really bother me without sounding anywhere near as offensive as I do. Which is good.

[DifunctedReble]

8 people hate the English language.

[lightsoul007]

People, if you know what is meant, let it go and be done with it. I bet plenty of the people here griping about the use of the phrase are perfectly fine with, and use themselves, other more nonsensical expressions in their everyday life.

Anyone that ever said "Tell me about it" when they meant "I already know and I agree completely." Anyone who uses the word "gay" to mean "homosexual", or anyone who has ever referred to an ovation, a type of ceremony in ancient rome, as standing. Come on guys.

[toungetied98]

@lightsoul007 the point is all you have to do is add a "n't" to it. it's always annoyed me when people say it.

[yurismir1]

@lightsoul007 I agree

[MrSyzmer]

I love how you guys think this is a serious video. He's a COMEDIAN people.

Btw it's: 'As rare as rocking horse shit' if you're going to quote Australian slang.

[tnekkc]

40 years ago, this guy was good.

[Hopefulfilment]

@tnekkc He is still god.

[marlboroman1985]

This is suprisingly cranky oldman-ish. It's a figure of speech, who cares? I wonder if he realizes English is nothing but a grab bag of muddled German, with dashes of butchered French, and Latin and god knows whatever else thrown in for good measure.

[yurismir1]

@marlboroman1985 Agreed

[achokingvitcim]

People defending "I could care less" are just upset at how ignorant they are. Sure, langauge evolves all the time, but this has not become "could careless" those who say "could careless" clearly couldn't careless about linguistics, as these people are ignorant fools.

[AbeGroter]

The phrase is supposed to go like this: " I couldn't care less"... I get it. That kind of speech and the generally dull frame of mind that is depended upon for it's production drives me mad.

[AfterFauve001]

the original expressions are, if I could care less I would, which became, I couldn't care less, which became - I could care less.

English language has a history of clever contradictory slang.

for example Australian expressions

happy as a bastard on fathers day.

shit from a rocking horse.

it just gets more contradictory in an attempt to be more clever for the sake of messing more with the mind of the person the comment is directed at.

I remember it (poorly) from "the story of English" series.

[AfterFauve001]

don't know what episode.

watch?v=7FtSUPAM-uA

[incoherentPropaganda]

sarcasm?

[brokenscythe]

the idea is you care enough to say "i can care less" because if you said "i could care less" you cared enough to say "i could care less". IF you truly didnt care AT ALL then you wouldnt say anything AT ALL . thus i reserve the right to say "i could care less" for exampled "i could have cared less to post this comment"

[stegeo3]

I could care less about this video.

[veget00tegev]

I love it when I point people out on this bullshit and they try to back their statement up with some claims that "I could care less" is actually the correct form and it makes sense. Yet, when I try to logically explain that they are wrong, it's always the same ragequit response in where they just act like I'm the stupid one. *sigh*..

[BrainRotMenacer]

@veget00tegev Try making them explain why "I could care less" makes sense. I doubt they will be able to do it. I'd like to hear someone try.

[dekekyo]

i could not care less and i hope i will not have to speak to you about this again.Hmm?

[Timorio]

I love the morons who point out that they could, technically, care less than they actually do, as if it'd ever be fitting to make mention of it.

[pwpike]

This American's always been annoyed by that too.

[unmedication]

I wouldn't mind watching this again.

[LanteanKnight]

I always thought the saying was 'I couldn't care less'

[konstantinosmei]

I always thought people said Couldn't

[Thagros]

Huh, looks like John beat you to it, David Mitchell.

Nevermind, you're both wicked!

[existenceisrelative]

This was pointed out to me a decade or so ago. So I had to think of different ways of saying that I had no interest in a proposed topic. "I couldn't care less" just doesn't have the same ring to it. A personal favorite of my new ways of saying "I could care less" is "if I cared any less about (blank), he/she might actually die". It gets the point across nicely and gets a laugh out of someone nearby two out of three times.

[blueanddollsome]

OMG, YES! From now on, I am posting a link to this when ever someone on a message board writes "I could care less" (AUGH!)

[ThomasRowsell]

i think its a misuse of the phrase "I couldn't care less"

[phildman132]

I think the general display of useless and unrelated graphs and pictures behind him, and the fact that it is bloody John Cleese point to this just being a joke... stop taking things so seriously :P

[chibraxial]

"i could care less" actually is sarcasm. It really means "i couldn't"

it's like when somebody says to someone bothering him "oh yeah, I care."(not)

It's sad that I have to teach english to englishmen.

[KurtG85]

@chibraxial Good point but I don't think that phrase is understood to have a 'sarcastic' tone by the vast majority of americans. By most, it is taken to be a phrase which is understood to have the literal meaning: 'I couldn't care less' even though most people are aware it isn't grammatically correct. Its basically a fallacious form of 'slang'. The phrase "I couldn't care less" was likely intentionally shortened at some point to intensify the terseness of the sound of the phrase.

[KurtG85]

@KurtG85 Whats funny is that the sketch is sarcastic to begin with. In other words it was just made to be funny, not a literal scathing attack on anything with any real consequence, so lighten up. ;>)

[givebeesachance]

It's ironic moron.

Jesus, Brits don't understand irony at all.

[ThomasRowsell]

@givebeesachance

if that is an attempt at irony, it is a fail. There is a difference between irony, sod's law, unfortunate coincidence and sarcasm - yanks seem to miss this.

[TheAutumnAyane]

@givebeesachance we had irony before your country was formed.

[CousinDupree]

Agreed.

[StephenM02]

one of my pet peeves for years.

[iloveravi]

Not sure why people have such issue with this. The whole this is a non issue for me and I could care less but it is doubtful.

[GODSAWAYONBUSINESS]

Never heard anyone saying that... to be honest I didn't think someone could be stu... careless enough to say it...

[jumpygrouch]

Americans don't say "I could care less" -- careless people say it, in all English-speaking countries!

[hamsterboy13]

i alrdy always said * I couldn't care less*...srsly

[mgore90]

@hamsterboy13

That's exactly what I was thinking, I'd be like 'I couldn't care less tbh mate' or whatever? Surely we're right lol

[MyChemicalMusicBox]

Thank you John Cleese. Been waiting for someone to put this into words for YEARS.

[Bolt220]

Yes John Cleese, you are brilliant!

[evanf33]

it's couldnt care less retard

[giggletronics]

We'll stop doing this if the UK will stop using verbs reserved for plural nouns when talking about collectives.

Example (UK): England are ahead by one goal in the match.

It's ONE unit! It's a singular noun! Use "is"!

[TheDivv]

@giggletronics 'England' is a collective noun though.

So 'are' is perfectly valid

[LaurieWilliams5066]

@TheDivv "England" is singular. It is not a collective noun. That is something different. It is a proper name. Collective nouns are still singular, eg "flock". "The flock is moving up the hill", not "the flock are moving up the hill". If you think that either "flock" or "England" is or may be plural, try discussing more than one. Try mentioning England then referring to it (yes - "it") again in this way - "It are ahead by one goal".

[YagiKaru]

It's an American thing, stop trying to push your ways on us. We have secret English rules too jerk faces. :(

[briecinc]

It's sarcastic

[RTgrl]

I could care less....

if you start talking about it.

[goodkarma82]

I always thought the saying was "couldn't care less." That's how I always say it.

[Gubbywubby]

@goodkarma82 me too!

[RagingWolf]

@goodkarma82 That's how smart people say it.

[Crate97]

@goodkarma82 Indeed... At least in Britain. Though we most often say I couldn't give a rat's arse, but it's the same thing... :)

[neverhoodyn]

@goodkarma82

That's the whole point of this video.

[majesticpunk]

Not all Americans say that. Also, why do Brit call a school that is privately paid for, "a public school" and a school school publicly paid for "a private school"?

[GlitchyTechnicals]

@majesticpunk Because back when they were established the "public" schools were open to all of the paying public, whilst the "private" school was only open to members of a certain church. The naming just stuck.

[Dedalbino]

This is a thing called SARCASM. Look it up.

[lds8714]

People often correctly say "I couldn't care less."

When they say "I could care less", I suppose there is an implicit irony, so that it's literal meaning is actually the "couldn't" form.

(Yeah I know, lighten up...)

[MrFungus420]

LOL...One of my pet peeves as well.

[bonkersane]

Spot on, Mr. Cleese!

[g1a1r1y3]

This is funny. I just got an email from a friend of mine who wrote "..I could care less.." I always tell people we need not worry of the loss of English from an influx of non-native speakers in the US. We native speakers are doing a fine job with that already.

[TheElectricHeat]

I could care less. if I felt like it.

[DerMetzgermeister3]

its alot easier to say "couldnt give a shit"...not that it makes sense but it gets the message across

[underatarget]

I really hope people learn from this. It annoys me SO MUCH.

[TheXMissyX]

Thank you! Drives me crazy!

[ErichoTTA]

You tell them!

[StupidLittleNobody]

Wasn't Buck Naked a porn star?

[p3snooper]

Marvelous!

Delivered to us by someone who obviously cares more and therefore COULD care less, if he so chose, which he apparently does not choose to do.

Personally, I couldn't care less how people express their sense of not giving a shit.

[asoccer345]

shut up. idiots saying "i could care less" drive me crazy

[p3snooper]

"...saying "i could care less" drive me crazy ..."

I couldn't care less what drives you crazy.

[curlymolly70]

irregardless ")

[TX169]

irregardless isn't even a proper word!

Regardless means: In spite of everything.

Irregardless is supposed to mean the same thing but technically it should mean the opposite!

People annoy me.

[curlymolly70]

when i typed 'irregardless' i implied all of these things.

are you correcting me or are you stupid?

both?

meh

[TX169]

You're obviously an asshole.

meh

[RexxEverything]

American-bashing should be an olympic sport! Mr Cleese would win gold every time.

[jacinda1214]

WHY IS THIS GUY SO FAMILIAR?!!!

[Mahavishnu80]

monty python, fish called wanda etc?

[justforflag2]

Two words. Monty Python.

[SemperFi62]

John Cleese is funny, but he's just being a twat here.

[RJFerreiro]

I love this! People saying "I could care less" has bothered me for years!

[Nunberry]

Isn't the american phrase "like I could care less?" thereby implying that the idea that they could care less is preposterous? Nit-picky, I know, but then this seems like the perfect place for it ;)

[jimbob123b]

No, it's not.

[Griwhoolda]

Not all Americans say "could care less."

[RJFerreiro]

But many do. And it's annoying.

[Griwhoolda]

Not this one. :)

[BlackIce415]

This is the truth.

[w00td00t]

I think you can only say Could if you are being sarcastic.

For example, when someone is telling you something but notices that you're not interested and they ask: "You con't care about this at all, do you?" And you say: "Well.... I could care less..." With emphases on could..

[scottylans]

No one ever uses the term sarcastically, no one would ever mean it sarcastically. It's just stupidity on behalf of stupid people.

[Fattaman]

Of course "I couldn't care less" is the correct expression. I love the music on this one, by the way.

[somezmerizing925]

lol I hate that and I'm American. Those charts were hilarious

[scottylans]

Oh god I love it, someone finally correcting the Americans on yet another one of their stupid mistakes which they now claim is 'deliberate' lol

[Stephie2007]

john, you're too much!

[MythicMoose]

I have long been irritated by this, as well as the use of the made-up word "irregardless", and people saying they feel "badly" when they feel bad.

[w00td00t]

lol, feeling badly would mean that you are not good at feeling... do people really say that? If english is their first language I mean.

[pyrostasis]

THANK YOU!

[thejugglenaut91]

dude, i was thinking about this exact thing one time

[norcofreerider604]

That's nice, but I could care less...

[pwettywipples]

As a Maths teacher... I wonder if I could work this into my class. Just for the graphs, of course.

[2strokebuzz]

It's not "could care less," it's "COULDN'T care less."

If people say "could care less," they're just slurring the "n't," ha.

[davidsalinero]

How bout this... I could give a shit.

[bblgoose]

also wrong.

[thetoadwarrior]

That's what happens when they let dirty ass Mexicans influence English.

[ojideagu]

Americans fucked up English long before Mexicans.

[walkingair]

i couldn't care less about this video!!

[kmfw72]

I prefer hotforwords' version

[ednardojerk]

Same difference. Irregardless, Cleese is making a quantum leap here.

[Williamsfan]

Ooh... please die in a fire!

[ednardojerk]

Huh? I carefully craft a response for your amusement, filled with misstatements in similar vein to the title, and you come back with that? I'll bet you used to say "I could care less" all the time, until you saw this. Ha. Ha ha. Ha.

[rossco010]

Since when has irregardless ever been a word? Maybe you should make a quantum leap of your own

[ednardojerk]

Can you read, or do you only write?