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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Opening up the 'couldn't care less' argument again!
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Opening up the 'couldn't care less' argument again!
2010-07-24, 2:13 AM #1
Been watching all the episodes of David Mitchell's soapbox on youtube (they're almost all hilarious, btw), and came across this one, that reminded me of so many Queen's English vs American English arguments that have happened here over the years..

<spe> maevie - proving dykes can't fly

<Dor> You're levelling up and gaining more polys!
2010-07-24, 2:25 AM #2
Hehe, I love it when the English mock Americans ^_^
I'd never thought of the fort term before, I've heard both expressions used and never thought of it before.
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2010-07-24, 4:27 AM #3
"Could care less" is not a case of American vs Queen's English. It's a case of stupidity.

Second. There's nothing wrong with 'hold down the fort'. We know what 'hold down' means in this context, and that's all that matters.
2010-07-24, 4:50 AM #4
Originally posted by JM:
"Could care less" is not a case of American vs Queen's English. It's a case of stupidity.


Agreed
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2010-07-24, 7:02 AM #5
I always assumed "hold down" implied the concept of buckling down, or like if you're in a bunker or any other "fort"-ified position where you must hold something closed to keep the enemy out.
2010-07-24, 8:07 AM #6
He's not going to any pains to point out that you're not literally holding anything so why go to them to point out that you're not literally holding anything down?
2010-07-24, 8:43 AM #7
The English pronounce the 'h' in herb? And they have the audacity to mock us? Wow, that'd sound downright silly. Like some guy's name.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2010-07-24, 9:02 AM #8
Waiting for the inevitable "languages evolve blah blah you're just being pedantic sperglords etc etc English today is different than English in Shakespeare's time AND THEREFORE that's why my use of 'could care less', and 'wut' instead of 'what', and 'u' instead of 'you', and 1337 is acceptable" post.

http://twitter.com/sarahpalinusa/status/18863040998
Stuff
2010-07-24, 9:34 AM #9
Why is he so ugly :confused: :confused: :confused: :omg:
2010-07-24, 9:39 AM #10
And for the record, I do agree with "couldn't care less" and that is what I say. Although I do my best not to correct or lecture people who say "could care less" because I wouldn't want to come off as a stuck up arrogant jackass.
2010-07-24, 9:43 AM #11
I think a lot of people, myself included say "could care less" out of habit of slurring the words too quickly. I don't think it was ever intentional.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2010-07-24, 10:17 AM #12
Originally posted by kyle90:

http://twitter.com/sarahpalinusa/status/18863040998


"Got to". :carl:
2010-07-24, 11:43 AM #13
Originally posted by Freelancer:
The English pronounce the 'h' in herb? And they have the audacity to mock us? Wow, that'd sound downright silly. Like some guy's name.

They also pronounce the h in historian, because you're meant to.

Also while I'm at it, Fillet is not prounced "fillay". You are not french.
nope.
2010-07-24, 11:45 AM #14
Man, you're all about keeping your language pure. Are you blonde and blue eyed, too? :p
Warhead[97]
2010-07-24, 11:48 AM #15
"Could care less" would work if it were said sarcastically

As in "Well I could care less :rolleyes:" (No I couldn't!)
一个大西瓜
2010-07-24, 12:09 PM #16
I find it really hard to vocalise it in a sarcastic way though, I can't even imagine it being said in a sarcastic way.
Detty. Professional Expert.
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2010-07-24, 2:25 PM #17
Originally posted by Baconfish:
They also pronounce the h in historian, because you're meant to.

Also while I'm at it, Fillet is not prounced "fillay". You are not french.


Most people I know pronounce the h in historian. It'd sound downright dumb not to.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2010-07-24, 2:29 PM #18
For some reason a lot of you seem to write "an historian". :P
nope.
2010-07-24, 2:46 PM #19
The only people I've ever heard NOT pronounce the h in history were british. Just throwing that out there.
Warhead[97]
2010-07-24, 2:48 PM #20
I don't think I've ever heard or seen it at all, other than the ludicrous "an historic."
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2010-07-24, 2:55 PM #21
Originally posted by BobTheMasher:
The only people I've ever heard NOT pronounce the h in history were british. Just throwing that out there.

Anyone that's from someplace that isn't filled with scum pronounces the h. :P
nope.
2010-07-24, 3:08 PM #22
"an historic" makes me raise my eyebrows too.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2010-07-24, 3:30 PM #23
Originally posted by Baconfish:
Also while I'm at it, Fillet is not prounced "fillay". You are not french.

No, but the word is, and it's been adopted in its French form.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2010-07-24, 3:33 PM #24
Yet you can't pronounce Notre Dame. :P
nope.
2010-07-24, 4:02 PM #25
Uh. Yes we can?

Here's the rub in all of these arguments : There is no correct way to pronounce a word. The closest you get to 'correct' is however you need to pronounce it to be understood by others.
2010-07-24, 4:03 PM #26
oh god I'm watching his videos but if I hear one more BULLDOG NATURAL GROOMING PRODUCTS spot I'm going to stabby
2010-07-24, 4:06 PM #27
Best one so far.

2010-07-24, 4:11 PM #28
Originally posted by saberopus:
oh god I'm watching his videos but if I hear one more BULLDOG NATURAL GROOMING PRODUCTS spot I'm going to stabby


It's made worse by the fact that it's about 4x louder than the actual video portion.
2010-07-24, 4:23 PM #29
Originally posted by Cool Matty:
"Got to". :carl:


That's not even the worst part. The worst part is that she thinks she coined a word as opposed to just misspelling "repudiate."
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2010-07-24, 4:31 PM #30
Originally posted by JM:
Uh. Yes we can?

Here's the rub in all of these arguments : There is no correct way to pronounce a word. The closest you get to 'correct' is however you need to pronounce it to be understood by others.

But Notre Dame is a title, and it's not pronounced "No-ter dayme." :D
nope.
2010-07-24, 5:28 PM #31
Originally posted by Emon:
I think a lot of people, myself included say "could care less" out of habit of slurring the words too quickly. I don't think it was ever intentional.


I've heard it on tv though, where they have scripts to read from and are a bit more anal about saying things right.



Originally posted by Freelancer:
The English pronounce the 'h' in herb? And they have the audacity to mock us? Wow, that'd sound downright silly. Like some guy's name.


Uh, tt's not just the English... in fact, I thought it was a red-neck thing to drop the h. "Erb" certainly sounds red-necky to me.
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2010-07-24, 5:38 PM #32
Quote:
But Notre Dame is a title, and it's not pronounced "No-ter dayme."
No, that's a school in Indiana, not Notre Dame. So what's your point? That all words that are spelled the same have to be pronounced the same?

Quote:
Uh, tt's not just the English... in fact, I thought it was a red-neck thing to drop the h. "Erb" certainly sounds red-necky to me.
The French root word is 'erbe'. No h. Pronunciation of the h is a recent invention, most likely caused by the proliferation of literacy.
2010-07-24, 5:40 PM #33
I'm American (or soon to be American Finnish) and I say "herb" with a hard "h", "process" like the "pro" in "pro and con", and sometimes "again" like "a gain". I don't know why and I don't really care too much.
2010-07-24, 5:42 PM #34
By that I mean I could care less. Because I care a little, but really it isn't important to me that much, so I could care less if I felt like it.
2010-07-24, 5:45 PM #35
Originally posted by JM:
The French root word is 'erbe'. No h. Pronunciation of the h is a recent invention, most likely caused by the proliferation of literacy.

So do you also say "'erbacious plants?" :huh:

Also:

Originally posted by JM:
No, that's a school in Indiana, not Notre Dame. So what's your point? That all words that are spelled the same have to be pronounced the same?

Yes, actually. :P
nope.
2010-07-24, 5:50 PM #36
No, I say "herbaceous plants".

Disregarding your inability to spell and addressing the point you were trying to make, the key difference here is that one word is a French loan word (even if the French got it from Latin) and the other is not. In America, we tend to pronounce French loan words the French way.

Quote:
Here's the rub in all of these arguments : There is no correct way to pronounce a word. The closest you get to 'correct' is however you need to pronounce it to be understood by others.


Quote:
Yes, actually.
In that case, I will take your Notre Dame and raise you a 'read'.


Reaching back in this thread to 'an historic', the rule may be that an comes before words that begin with vowel sounds, but as with everything else in English, if it's easier to say the other way we make an exception for it.
2010-07-25, 5:26 AM #37
You do realise that I'm kidding, right? :P
nope.
2010-07-25, 7:10 AM #38
Yes, but I couldn't care less.
2010-07-25, 7:11 AM #39
Woah woah woah, wait a second.... people drop the h in historian??
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2010-07-25, 7:13 AM #40
An historian still sounds dead wrong to me.

I will agree it's easier to say than 'a historian' though.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
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