Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
COULD CARE LESS / COULDN’T CARE LESS
This is a casual expression that has somehow been turned topsy-turvy in both spoken and written language. If you could care less, then obviously you care at least somewhat; otherwise, it would not be possible to care less than you do. However, most of the time we see or hear this form of the expression used, it is intended to mean couldn’t care less, which indicates that the speaker/writer doesn’t care at all because if you don’t care at all, you cannot possibly care less.
INCORRECT: I could care less about whether I win the game.
CORRECT: I couldn’t care less about whether I win the game.
Of course, if you really do care and therefore could care less, then the “incorrect” statement above would in fact be correct, but due to such common misuse of this phrase, chances are slim that your reader/listener would interpret it to mean what it says.
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