The West Wing

The Stackhouse Filibuster - S2-E17

Continuity mistake: When Josh first sits down at his computer, there are about 3 or 4 lines already typed in the email on the screen, but a few seconds later that has almost doubled. Even more inexplicably, when he finally starts 'typing' at about 28:05, he presses about 10-15 keys but two whole paragraphs pop up. This is not due to pasting copied text, as his hands are nowhere near the Control keys. Finally, at about 28:25 when Donna leaves, he turns back to a screen which is now back to the 3-4 lines. A less-detailed version of this has already been submitted, but I believe mine is clearer (and that other one has not been approved). :). (00:27:45)

Gliktch

Pilot - S1-E1

Factual error: The Lockheed 1011 was only produced until 1984. There's no way that in 1999 Toby would be flying on one that "just came off the line 20 months ago."

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In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Question: This is as good a place to ask as any. In various US TV shows (including this one, and this episode), someone says "I could care less", when they always seem to mean "I couldn't care less", ie. they have no interest in what's going on. Surely if they COULD care less that means they actually care a reasonable amount? Is there any logic to this, or is it just a really annoying innate lack of sense?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: A really annoying innate lack of sense. My friends and family say the same thing all the time, and I'm endlessly trying to correct them. I think people just don't know any better and (ironically) couldn't care less that they're speaking incorrectly.

Answer: It's an endlessly annoying dropped negative, and it's been a common colloquialism for far too long. I believe it comes from an original (and now omitted and merely implied) "As if" preceding the statement. "As if I could care less." (Meaning "As if it were possible that I could care even less than I do.") But there's really no way to know.

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