The West Wing

Mr. Frost - S7-E4

Factual error: At the end of the episode, a chamber music ensemble plays at the White House. One of the close-up shots is of the oboist as well as the sheet of music on her stand. The music on the stand is not the same piece as that being played, and it's not even an oboe part, but rather a piano score of some solo instrument piece, as can be told by each system having three staves, two of which are bracketed together. (00:39:20)

Tomorrow - S7-E22

Factual error: Early in the episode, when Abby complains about who in their right mind would schedule outdoor inaugurations in January, Jed retorts by listing Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin, but inaugurations were in March until 1936 - not a mistake President Bartlet would make.

marathon69

Tomorrow - S7-E22

Factual error: When the president signs Toby's Presidential Pardon you can see his name listed as "Toby." However such a document would refer to someone by their full, legal name. In this case the document should say "Tobias" not Toby, which, although commonly used throughout the series, is still only a nickname.

Tomorrow - S7-E22

Factual error: In the show's final scene Ronna comes into the oval office to remind President Santos that it's nearly 6 PM and he needs to get ready for the various inaugural balls. The Oval Office is filled with sunshine, however in Washington D.C. in January the sun would have set nearly an hour before and it would be dark outside.

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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