(Why not? No one seems bored anymore.)
Morth, the fact that Americans commonly use the phrase doesn't make it sound any less ridiculous. It may, however, feed negative stereotypes of Americans.
Perhaps this has something to do with the tone usually used to say it, though; one without even a hint of sarcasm, implying the speaker simply doesn't realize what s/he is saying.
Warning: rambling follows. Read at your own risk
I suppose I could relate this to the original topic, then (and avoid skwerlz) by suggesting that, all else being equal, text on a screen will take on the tone of voice the reader is most used to hearing, or perhaps the one s/he expects to hear based on a chain of personal associations with irrelevant trivia arbitrarily linked with the person in question, and the resultant "personality" perceived by the reader bears only a distant relation to the person, persons, or monkeys behind the keyboard (or keyboards, or even voice/face).
Therefore, the "knowledge" that Morthoron is an English major, the observation that someone using Morthoron's account previously posed some delightfully well-phrased and pun-filled contributions, and the unexamined assumption that "I could care less" is always spoken in a certain tone, might lead a poor newbie to the erroneous assumption that Morthoron is somehow not himself, slipping, or has some reason behind his phrasing which must be - teased - out.
Of course, all this is silly, and it is much more logical to assume he illustrates his lack of concern by using a deliberately sloppy phrase to express it.
[/rambling]
Mith, it wouldn't have any connection with Nonesuch Theatre, would it?
|