Mathematicians ... well, that's interesting. A huge contributor of language change is slurring vowels to make pronunciation easier. This is known as economy, a technical word for "laziness". Laziness could well be a facilitating factor that helps explain the dropping of the "not" in couldn't. Hmm ... a mathematics that interprets the creative curve of laziness....
"Could vs Couldn't care less" question...
- Thread starter Flareon
- Start date
Lol, no, the formula doesn't really work in that way! It just looks at how language had evolved up till now, and applies the same process to language today. Given that in England at least, most changes to language are due to cultural forces, it doesn't really give an accurate picture.
Marrill, I don't quite know what point you're trying to make, but if you can write in Old English, that is just too awesome.
Marrill, I don't quite know what point you're trying to make, but if you can write in Old English, that is just too awesome.
shinygyarados
New Member
A whole thread about the miscorrect uses of words and no one has mentioned the fact that a "near miss" is a hit?
Professor_Chris
Active Member
Why do people say "could care less"? The answer should be obvious: it's because they're ignorant. They don't know that what they're saying doesn't make sense, and no one has ever bothered to correct them. Of course, perhaps they just couldn't care less what the correct way is.
The way these things get screwed up is that people like to repeat phrases they've heard (whether or not they really know how to use them). However, more often than not, they screw them up because they heard or remembered incorrectly (or were simply told the wrong phrase).
The way these things get screwed up is that people like to repeat phrases they've heard (whether or not they really know how to use them). However, more often than not, they screw them up because they heard or remembered incorrectly (or were simply told the wrong phrase).
Charizardian
New Member
I couldn't care less about this subject.
Lies. If you cared less, you wouldn't be posting here.
I love pointing out that mentioning you couldn't care less generally means you actually could care less, for pretty much that reason. It's an amusing little linguistical paradox.
To post one doesn't care about a topic does NOT mean they do care. They posted only to inform those who do care, that the topic is pointless and a waste of time. But as i've seen on many topics, You always seem to have a correction to everyones post on here. So i'm sure you'll think of some intelligent come back to mine as well.
Ya, Marril gets that. The point is, to not care about the topic (one way or the other), you would not bother posting.