I don't claim to be all-knowing when it comes to writing, or even the use of words. But, there are 3 mistakes I see so often in written communication that I just had to get it out.
1. "I could care less" - Now, this should be obvious to anyone who simply stops to think about that phrase. The supposed point of this phrase is that your concern for a particular issue is absolutely zero. So, by saying, "I could care less," you're leaving the door open for something to be lower on the list.
The correct phrase is, "I couldn't care less." This clearly states that nothing could be less of a concern than the object you're referring to.
2. Towards - I was once told this is not actually a word. But, I looked it up at dictionary.com and it actually is a word. It is listed as a variant of toward. So, the point is that toward should be used instead. Why would you use a variant of the word you're really meaning?
3. "Over 100 people" - What's over them? Should they get out of the way before it drops? The point is that over is a word of position, not amount. The correct phrase would be, "More than 100 people."
If you made it through my ridiculous ranting, thanks. Let's try to do better with the phrases we use!
3 comments:
2 of your 3 have long been on my list. I went off on a guy at work a couple weeks ago for saying there were "over 75+ teams registered." What does that even mean? I could care less for those types of sentences...
Dan,
As I read your post, I must admit I could care less about your attitude towards how people write. I would venture to say if I talked to over 100 people, over 90 of them would agree with me.
okay, actually "I could care less" has always made me want to get a little violent toward people.
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