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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 346 responses total. |
md
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response 25 of 346:
| 
Mar 22 18:01 UTC 1995 |
40 years or so ago, everyone said "I couldn't care less." Around
that time, the ironic variant "As if I could care less" came into
vogue. Then, "as if" started being replace by the equivalent but
ungrammatical "like." Then the original function of the word
"like" was forgotten. And finally, the "like" was dropped, and
"I could care less" was born. The process went like this.
(Dates approximate.):
1950 - Mary didn't invite me. I couldn't care less.
1955 - Mary didn't invite me, as if I could care less.
1960 - Mary didn't invite me, like I could care less.
1965 - Mary didn't invite me. Like, I could care less.
1970 - Mary didn't invite me. I could care less.
The pronunciation of "I could care less" gives its ancestry away.
If it were truly the opposite of "I COULDN'T care LESS," it would
be pronounced "I COULD care LESS." But people say "I could CARE
LESS," which retains at least an echo of the original "As if I
could CARE LESS."
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md
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response 26 of 346:
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Mar 22 18:01 UTC 1995 |
As to subjective case vs objective case, I agree. People who
say "Dad drove me" will also say "Dad drove Heather and I,"
as if the rules of grammar somehow change when Heather gets
into the car. (Then again, maybe they do. Good idea for a
story.)
On the other hand, the inertia of idioms is awesome: I have
yet to hear anyone say "Between you, I and the lamppost."
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rcurl
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response 27 of 346:
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Mar 22 18:23 UTC 1995 |
If they did, Fowler would rotate in his bier. I meant to ask, md - is
#25 your dissertation?
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janc
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response 28 of 346:
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Mar 22 18:48 UTC 1995 |
I want to hear how the story about the rules of grammaar changing when Heather
gets in the car comes out.
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bjt
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response 29 of 346:
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Mar 22 19:31 UTC 1995 |
re 26: Right arm, md. But, I often hear "between you and I". (and I
LIKE the period after the quotes!).
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rcurl
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response 30 of 346:
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Mar 22 20:13 UTC 1995 |
re 26: should be "People that say...".
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md
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response 31 of 346:
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Mar 22 20:42 UTC 1995 |
Re #27, yes #25 is my little dissertation, based on events
I observed as they were happening. It is unquestionably true,
although I don't know how to prove that.
Re #28, I must write that story.
Re #29, I often hear "between you and I," too, but it's always
"between you, me, and the lamppost," isn't it? My point.
Re #30, like you say.
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otterwmn
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response 32 of 346:
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Mar 22 22:08 UTC 1995 |
On the subject of "you and I" vs. "you and me", I had an English teacher who
advised us to take out the "you" and see what sounds right. Solid advice, and
it always works.
"I would of done that." GRRRR! "I would have" is correct, but the former is
often used.
your = belongs to you you're = you are <---another common mistake
I won't get started on the evil apostrophe until next time. =)
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scg
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response 33 of 346:
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Mar 23 05:26 UTC 1995 |
Shouldn't "between you, me, and the lamppost" be "between you, the
lamppost, and me?"
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lem
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response 34 of 346:
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Mar 23 07:13 UTC 1995 |
No. It should be: "Among you, me, and the lamppost." "Between" never
works for more than two items of comparison.
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raytlee
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response 35 of 346:
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Mar 23 07:32 UTC 1995 |
My students often write 'their' instead of 'there'. Drives me nuts.
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popcorn
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response 36 of 346:
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Mar 23 15:03 UTC 1995 |
This response has been erased.
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peacefrg
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response 37 of 346:
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Mar 23 16:03 UTC 1995 |
Kae get's very mad when people use the apostrophy's in the wrong place's.
But they look just so damn neat in sentence's. :)
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popcorn
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response 38 of 346:
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Mar 23 16:34 UTC 1995 |
This response has been erased.
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md
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response 39 of 346:
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Mar 23 16:38 UTC 1995 |
Btw, has anyone else noticed that the "as if" that became detached
from "I could care less" twenty-five years ago has recently
returned as a standalone expression of derision in the "Wayne's
World" movies? Add as footnote to list in #25:
1990 - "Mary didn't invite me. AS IF!"
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anig
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response 40 of 346:
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Mar 23 16:55 UTC 1995 |
I think that I spelled Dr. Seuss name wrong in a previous item....
sorry Valerie!!!
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anig
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response 41 of 346:
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Mar 23 17:05 UTC 1995 |
I meant Dr. Seuss' name...if that is the correct way to show ownership
with a name ending in S.
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bjt
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response 42 of 346:
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Mar 23 23:18 UTC 1995 |
A neat way to remember the difference between their and there:
Think of the "i" in their as a selfish little guy who thinks he owns
everything and think of the "e's" in there and eyeballs looking
"over there".
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aruba
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response 43 of 346:
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Mar 24 00:51 UTC 1995 |
Suurrre, Barbara, whatever you say. :)
(Actually, I like Barbara's mnemonic, I've used similar silly things in the
past to good avail.)
I can see this is shaping up to be a real knock-down, no holds barred,
lay your feelings on the table kind of item. Could get ugly.
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nephi
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response 44 of 346:
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Mar 24 05:16 UTC 1995 |
I still get confused with effect and affect. Is there a mnemonic for
that?
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md
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response 45 of 346:
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Mar 24 13:05 UTC 1995 |
Just say "impact" for both. Everyone else does.
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popcorn
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response 46 of 346:
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Mar 24 16:25 UTC 1995 |
This response has been erased.
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arnster
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response 47 of 346:
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Mar 24 19:14 UTC 1995 |
re #45 Thanks!!! I'll file that one away...
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nephi
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response 48 of 346:
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Mar 24 19:43 UTC 1995 |
<hehe>
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katie
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response 49 of 346:
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Mar 24 20:08 UTC 1995 |
(haha!)
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