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In fairness... Legolas Send a noteboard - 07/11/2011 10:50:13 PM
In Australia, the phrase is "couldn't care less". Even when Americans say they could care less, they often really mean they couldn't care less, which is the exact opposite of what they said.

you could use it as a sort of subtle protest against the tendency towards hyperbole inherent in expressions of that kind - because in virtually all situations where you'd use that expression, you COULD indeed care less. :P
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America's Quirks noticed by Non-Americans mapthis - 07/11/2011 06:55:22 PM 2300 Views
Wait, in Europe they leave soap on dishes to dry? beetnemesis - 07/11/2011 08:25:33 PM 1364 Views
It's very regional. They always do that in that other country where they are insane. Like denmark. *NM* jh - 07/11/2011 09:18:26 PM 649 Views
Don't the dishes taste funny, then? beetnemesis - 07/11/2011 09:31:17 PM 1017 Views
I had to ask one of the Brits I worked with about that one random thoughts - 08/11/2011 04:48:11 PM 1258 Views
I can't even imagine not rinsing them. Like you, I didn't realize anyone did that? *NM* Sareitha Sedai - 08/11/2011 04:55:33 PM 639 Views
Yeah it's weird isn't it. *NM* Aviendha - 08/11/2011 06:00:11 PM 674 Views
That's gross *NM* ßelals Girl - 08/11/2011 07:56:48 PM 698 Views
Depends on how much soap was in the water ironclad - 08/11/2011 10:54:28 PM 1075 Views
Ah ha! Perhaps this explains my mother-in-law's behavior! Avendesora - 08/11/2011 11:11:12 PM 1210 Views
Not that I ever heard of... *NM* Legolas - 08/11/2011 11:13:05 PM 680 Views
Re: Wait, in Europe they leave soap on dishes to dry? unstuckman - 09/11/2011 02:52:14 AM 1650 Views
Depends on how much washing-up liquid you put in the water. Rebekah - 09/11/2011 08:13:51 AM 971 Views
I don't think it's different. Sareitha Sedai - 09/11/2011 04:30:58 PM 1090 Views
It isn't. I was going to say exactly the same thing about the laziness and "soap." nossy - 09/11/2011 05:42:44 PM 1178 Views
Thanks both. *NM* Rebekah - 09/11/2011 07:08:58 PM 665 Views
We are talking about washing dishes by hand, right? beetnemesis - 09/11/2011 06:50:09 PM 1033 Views
Yes. And here's the difference between what you do and what I do: Rebekah - 09/11/2011 07:08:06 PM 1044 Views
Yes Sareitha Sedai - 09/11/2011 07:13:54 PM 1284 Views
EWIE!!! I can't imagine eating soap with every meal... That can't be good for you. *NM* alanna aes sedai - 10/11/2011 01:48:16 AM 669 Views
Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things? Tom - 07/11/2011 08:27:24 PM 1280 Views
The problem with these things is that you always get the entire US answering them beetnemesis - 07/11/2011 09:32:07 PM 1123 Views
I'm guessing everybody who's been to the US outside NYC, then. Legolas - 07/11/2011 09:42:10 PM 1089 Views
No pretty much everywhere in the US people use plastic 99% of the time *NM* random thoughts - 08/11/2011 12:31:49 AM 694 Views
This totally depends where you are. nossy - 08/11/2011 12:57:11 AM 1262 Views
Once again, that isn't what they were talking about Tom - 08/11/2011 01:29:19 PM 1192 Views
You know I worked in a store, right? nossy - 08/11/2011 01:49:36 PM 1153 Views
I repeat: I have NEVER seen someone pay by check in a store since 1989. *NM* Tom - 08/11/2011 01:56:59 PM 684 Views
I know you travel quite frequently, but I'll refer you to Paul's comment above re: New York. *NM* nossy - 08/11/2011 02:10:36 PM 715 Views
I spent 1990-1999 in the South, you know. *NM* Tom - 08/11/2011 02:46:19 PM 594 Views
I knew you'd gotten around. nossy - 08/11/2011 03:06:20 PM 1199 Views
I would call one to two checks a week pretty rare random thoughts - 08/11/2011 06:28:59 PM 1063 Views
Which is still more often than places that never use them. snoopcester - 08/11/2011 06:58:30 PM 1202 Views
Oops. This is Jen. Don't start attacking! Eep. *NM* snoopcester - 08/11/2011 06:59:09 PM 653 Views
Always good to see couples know each other's passwords ironclad - 08/11/2011 07:19:18 PM 1162 Views
I think I know it, but I actually was accidentally in his account. He put the computer down. nossy - 08/11/2011 08:08:45 PM 1103 Views
yes *NM* random thoughts - 08/11/2011 08:12:45 PM 589 Views
Yeah but I think I've seen maybe two in my LIFE Floffe - 08/11/2011 07:44:10 PM 1152 Views
I guess it is all relative random thoughts - 09/11/2011 06:27:17 PM 1023 Views
It still depends on where you are. Like she said... Sareitha Sedai - 08/11/2011 02:02:09 PM 1328 Views
*I* at least was mostly thinking about rent checks. But yes, I've seen it in stores too. Legolas - 08/11/2011 09:47:58 PM 1141 Views
so paper checks are history in ??? random thoughts - 08/11/2011 10:51:01 PM 1062 Views
Belgium. *NM* Legolas - 08/11/2011 11:13:22 PM 581 Views
That is part of France right? random thoughts - 09/11/2011 06:24:24 PM 1048 Views
They wish. *NM* Legolas - 09/11/2011 08:01:22 PM 688 Views
that is true random thoughts - 08/11/2011 06:27:13 PM 1011 Views
Rent checks. Utility checks. *NM* Aeryn - 07/11/2011 10:47:58 PM 836 Views
Exactly - instead of automated bank transfers. *NM* Legolas - 07/11/2011 10:50:39 PM 663 Views
They still do this in Britain too. Morgawse - 08/11/2011 01:13:52 AM 1143 Views
What's weirdest about British rent... Legolas - 08/11/2011 09:48:43 PM 1294 Views
Well... Morgawse - 08/11/2011 09:53:56 PM 1135 Views
Fair enough, I've only seen it on sites with rent rates. *NM* Legolas - 08/11/2011 09:57:31 PM 591 Views
That wasn't what they were talking about on that website. Tom - 08/11/2011 01:28:28 PM 1109 Views
Re: Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things? James - 08/11/2011 05:52:19 PM 1081 Views
I pay the chiropractor with a check. He doesn't have a card reader and I never have cash. Avendesora - 08/11/2011 10:56:47 PM 1010 Views
Can you buy alcohol in the US at any time? kHz1000 - 07/11/2011 08:41:41 PM 1152 Views
Oh, I can explain beer pong to you. jh - 07/11/2011 09:19:46 PM 1105 Views
mapthis - 07/11/2011 09:52:48 PM 1168 Views
Like Button. *NM* TaskmasterJack - 10/11/2011 11:29:12 PM 618 Views
In my experience, if the store is open, you can buy it beetnemesis - 07/11/2011 09:33:22 PM 1120 Views
In most countries of Europe you can too, to my knowledge... as long as the store is open. Legolas - 07/11/2011 09:43:47 PM 1131 Views
it depends on the state LadyLorraine - 07/11/2011 11:16:40 PM 1075 Views
I t varies ste to state or even county to county and city to city random thoughts - 08/11/2011 12:35:27 AM 1162 Views
The variety of the "blue laws" is a bit nuts. Avendesora - 08/11/2011 02:39:55 PM 1061 Views
We can turn right on a red light too ironclad - 07/11/2011 09:48:38 PM 1296 Views
Really? I thought that was unique to the US. Joel - 08/11/2011 12:34:14 PM 1406 Views
The French can do it too. Tim - 08/11/2011 03:34:39 PM 1068 Views
The French are shameless; first they stole our national colors, now this. Joel - 09/11/2011 01:19:47 PM 1090 Views
That's mostly Italy, France is not so bad. Legolas - 09/11/2011 08:02:51 PM 961 Views
That makes sense, but I have heard horrible tales about French farmers in trucks. Joel - 09/11/2011 10:24:01 PM 945 Views
Hm. Never noticed that. Legolas - 09/11/2011 10:31:23 PM 1054 Views
Sounds like you did, actually. Joel - 11/11/2011 01:23:16 PM 1351 Views
Heh, I was so confused by this when I moved to western NY. Sareitha Sedai - 08/11/2011 03:59:43 PM 1100 Views
Ah, yes, good point. Joel - 09/11/2011 01:24:03 PM 977 Views
Cops ironclad - 08/11/2011 06:31:08 PM 1096 Views
It is important to distinguish between cautious and combative attitudes. Joel - 09/11/2011 02:24:43 PM 1280 Views
If there's a green right-turn filter light, then you aren't turning right on a red at all . *NM* Tim - 08/11/2011 03:33:36 PM 612 Views
It's not a light. It's a sign of a green arrow ironclad - 08/11/2011 03:47:22 PM 1068 Views
But it's a light that goes on and off. Tim - 08/11/2011 06:02:48 PM 1017 Views
Yes, a permanent sign. ironclad - 08/11/2011 06:18:26 PM 1024 Views
Ah, I see. We don't have those, so I thought you meant something different. Tim - 08/11/2011 06:47:23 PM 980 Views
For me, the strangest thing is the phrase "could care less" Colonel Logain - 07/11/2011 10:43:54 PM 1228 Views
In fairness... Legolas - 07/11/2011 10:50:13 PM 1241 Views
It's true. Nate - 07/11/2011 11:06:42 PM 1080 Views
Exactly Colonel Logain - 07/11/2011 11:08:53 PM 1187 Views
I've had one person get angry, and another thank me. nossy - 08/11/2011 01:01:05 AM 1055 Views
Well, Great Lord of Chaos - 08/11/2011 04:43:31 AM 1174 Views
I think that's just a case of it being said too quickly and slurred too much A Deathwatch Guard - 08/11/2011 02:14:14 AM 1021 Views
"you have another thing coming" and "it all goes well" grrrrrrrrrrr Two Wongs - 08/11/2011 10:19:27 AM 1230 Views
Your last question, and a variation of it, was my recurrent thought while reading the list. Joel - 08/11/2011 12:38:53 PM 1123 Views
that is really what stood out to you the most going from Australia to the US? random thoughts - 08/11/2011 04:45:21 PM 1070 Views
It didn't stand out the most, I said it was the strangest thing Colonel Logain - 08/11/2011 10:33:48 PM 1071 Views
you have a good point I guess random thoughts - 09/11/2011 06:31:41 PM 961 Views
It's "couldn't care less" in America, or at least it is in the part where I live. *NM* Vodalus - 08/11/2011 06:01:50 PM 573 Views
It's couldn't care less everywhere- some people just say it incorrectly. *NM* beetnemesis - 08/11/2011 06:09:08 PM 609 Views
*NM* Tom - 08/11/2011 06:26:54 PM 671 Views
Interesting about the flag. Dannymac - 08/11/2011 04:16:12 AM 1149 Views
I wonder how much of that is American and how much is European culture. Joel - 08/11/2011 12:53:15 PM 1104 Views
More like "we tend to equate respecting a flag with liking a country" beetnemesis - 08/11/2011 01:57:26 PM 1202 Views
Part of it is, as Joel notes, a general European trauma that isn't shared by some. Legolas - 08/11/2011 09:56:22 PM 1216 Views
Because my husband lived in England and has family there, I knew some of these. BUT... Avendesora - 08/11/2011 12:42:07 PM 1199 Views
I can't say I really noticed a difference but I wonder if Sareitha Sedai - 08/11/2011 04:52:05 PM 1025 Views
It varies here, it's certainly not unusual to have a space between. Legolas - 08/11/2011 10:00:38 PM 1204 Views
I've heard stories. *NM* Avendesora - 08/11/2011 10:51:03 PM 701 Views
Huh. Only ever saw those holes in the ground in Belgium. and had to pay to use them. jh - 09/11/2011 03:28:35 PM 1146 Views
I've never seen them in Belgium - nor in France outside highway parkings, to be fair. Legolas - 09/11/2011 08:05:09 PM 1122 Views
OK now you are being redundant *NM* random thoughts - 09/11/2011 11:47:52 PM 648 Views
When I was in England we saw way more flags than we typically see in the US. Sareitha Sedai - 08/11/2011 01:32:47 PM 1198 Views
Ooh... TaskmasterJack - 09/11/2011 12:50:02 AM 1242 Views
So many fat people. Burr - 09/11/2011 01:19:24 AM 1264 Views
We do have high calorie intake and low inclination to exercise. *NM* TaskmasterJack - 09/11/2011 01:26:40 AM 644 Views
That's half-true ironclad - 09/11/2011 02:09:48 AM 1103 Views
I think there was a Family Guy episode about this. Joel - 09/11/2011 02:27:07 PM 1165 Views
Re: I think there was a Family Guy episode about this. ironclad - 09/11/2011 02:33:18 PM 1159 Views
Ah, that makes a difference. Joel - 09/11/2011 03:05:44 PM 1087 Views
You would find it much different at Gruene Hall random thoughts - 09/11/2011 11:46:53 PM 963 Views
Perhaps; never been, nor am I likey to ever go. Joel - 11/11/2011 01:00:13 PM 1526 Views
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