|
Private Messages |
| |
Inbox
- Log in to check your private messages. |
|
Site Stats |
Website Data Feed |
Last Updated 09/02/2010 1:42:35 PM |
Active Users |
Active Members: 2
Guests: 6
|
Visits since 2.7.2008 |
Unique Visitors: 929381
|
|
|
|
| Commonly misused terms - By gmadd13 |
|
|
|
Posted on 11/18/2009 at 10:37:36 AM
Viewed 1684 times
With 38 replies
View other blogs by gmadd13
View the gallery of gmadd13
|
So, I'm reading an article on ESPN about how Kansas barely avoided an upset against Memphis.
A dramatic near-miss by Memphis against No. 1 Kansas capped off our 24-hour college hoops marathon. Phew!
"Near miss"? Isn't it a "near hit"? I mean, if I nearly hit something, it means I missed it ... right? So, by the same logic, if I nearly miss something ... I hit it, correct? Is this the same as "inflammable" and "flammable"? Or when someone says "irregardless"?
While I'm on a rant here ... one more thing. If there is something that you have absolutely zero concern about, then you "couldn't care less about it". It means there is no way you could have less concern. Yet, so many folks say "I could care less". You could? How much less? A lot less? Allow me to show a diagram.
Please, for the sake of those as anal as I am, stop this.
When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense I ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4
|
|
|
|
|
GeoEnvi
 50 Posts
|
|
|
teckert
186 Posts
|
 Posted 11/18/2009 : 12:09:28 PM
|
| Thank you, Greg. |
 |
|
|
tara
138 Posts
|
Posted 11/18/2009 : 3:44:02 PM
|
Thanks Greg. My thought processes were screwed up enough before I read this, but thanks to your convoluted definitions of missing, hitting, inflamed and other random oddities, I cannot think straight (or even slightly twisted) at all. Geez....you know I could care less about whether something was hit, not hit, a good hit or a bad miss, irregardless of who said which one was which.  |
|
|
|
Chuck Shuhler
25 Posts
|
Posted 11/19/2009 : 10:22:42 AM
|
A "near miss" is idiomatic, and as such, is poor fodder for literalism.
But, whatever. I could care less. |
|
|
|
gmadd13
1002 Posts
|
Posted 11/19/2009 : 2:24:45 PM
|
The key, Chuck, is how much. How much can you care less.
You too, Tara.
Because however much that is, I'm converting it to a liquid measurement, filling a water balloon with that amount, and throwing it at you both.
When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense I ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4
|
|
|
|
tara
138 Posts
|
Posted 11/19/2009 : 3:22:18 PM
(Edited 11/19/09 @ 30:30)
|
| Greg, provided the liquid used is ultra-low density, I will tell you I would not be able to care less if I was a totally unethical, egomaniacal 7 who thought certain things didn't stink up the joint. However, if I didn't care at all, I wouldn't even bother to read your post. Did that clear anything up for you? |
|
|
|
gmadd13
1002 Posts
|
Posted 11/19/2009 : 3:54:40 PM
|
Tara, I hope Mr. Miyagi taught you the Crane Technique. Because, tonight, this is my plan when I see you at the bar.
When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense I ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4
|
|
|
|
tara
138 Posts
|
Posted 11/20/2009 : 11:43:58 AM
|
Too bad you were distracted by other things...
 |
|
|
|
Chuck Shuhler
25 Posts
|
Posted 11/23/2009 : 11:55:43 AM
|
Well, according to your visual aid, no matter how much I currently care, I could only care a finite amount less and an infinite amount more. Thus, the ratio of how much less I could care to how much more I could care approaches zero, as the domain grows infinitely large.
So I could care less, as the continuum suggests, but all things considered, in the grand scheme of how much I could care, mathematically, I probably couldn't care less.
So, in your planned water balloon fight, you might want to fill mine from an eye dropper. 
|
|
|
|
gmadd13
1002 Posts
|
Posted 11/23/2009 : 1:00:24 PM
|
Chuck, relative comparisons to the amount you could care more and the amount you could care less are irrelevant. Because you could care more does not mean that you could not care less (digest that, Tara). So, yes, it is possible that the caring could continue upward toward infinity while only decreasing toward zero, but
IF CARE > 0
THEN CARELESS = TRUE
ELSE CARELESS = FALSE.
So, only if CARE = 0 can you possibly not care less. And, I have a pretty big eyedropper. 
When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense I ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4
|
|
|
|
Rob Peuplie
"Another day in Paradise" |
Posted 11/23/2009 : 2:22:33 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by gmadd13
Chuck, relative comparisons to the amount you could care more and the amount you could care less are irrelevant. Because you could care more does not mean that you could not care less (digest that, Tara). So, yes, it is possible that the caring could continue upward toward infinity while only decreasing toward zero, but
IF CARE > 0
THEN CARELESS = TRUE
ELSE CARELESS = FALSE.
So, only if CARE = 0 can you possibly not care less. And, I have a pretty big eyedropper.
When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense I ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4
Wow... thats almost as bad as...
"brothers and sisters I have none, that man's father is my fathers son."
Rob
Rob Peuplie
League Manager
aka (Red Headed Step Child)
|
|
|
|
JDunne
208 Posts
|
Posted 11/23/2009 : 2:43:11 PM
|
| Son, but I could care less. |
|
|
|
tara
138 Posts
|
|
|
DMillios
26 Posts
|
Posted 12/01/2009 : 3:31:40 PM
|
I'll throw the one out there that drives me crazy.
"Supposably"
ack.  |
|
|
|
Chuck Shuhler
25 Posts
|
Posted 12/01/2009 : 4:13:06 PM
|
I will give 10 free internets to the first one who can use "supposably", "irregardless", "could care less", "flammable", "inflammable", and "the leg, sweep it" in a single sentence.
Oh... wait...
|
|
|
|
|
 New Topic
| Reply to Topic
|
|
|
|
