The West Wing

Arctic Radar - S4-E10

Continuity mistake: When Josh is recapping his conversation with Jack to Donna, as he is walking towards the coffee pot he his putting a pen in his shirt pocket. When they turn to walk back to his office the pen has disappeared. (00:24:50 - 00:25:50)

Arctic Radar - S4-E10

Continuity mistake: Josh is wishing Donna a Happy Thanksgiving - he is eating something out of his hand and has a blue book tucked under his arm, which flips from front to back from one shot to the next. When he starts talking to the Trekkie, it flips back again.

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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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