From somewhere deep within the sick, bizarre mind of Donald Trump, he told his supporters at a rally in Florida that he wouldn’t let the “radical left” change Thanksgiving’s name. After taking credit for making it okay for Americans to say “Merry Christmas” once again, Trump said, “As we gather for Thanksgiving, you know, some people want to change the name Thanksgiving. They don’t want to use the term Thanksgiving.”
It’s not real clear who on the left Trump believes is trying to change the name of Thanksgiving, which is a secular American holiday. However, it is clear where he got this crazy notion.
Apparently some of the “fair and balanced” on-air personalities at Fox News have claimed that progressives in America are trying to “cancel” Thanksgiving. This conclusion was seemingly based on a single article which noted the climate impact of the American holiday.
The article, which appeared in HuffPost, is an examination of the carbon footprint of various parts of the Thanksgiving traditional meal, plus the travel made by the 50 million Americans to visit family. This triggered a series of Fox News shows decrying it as the start of a new “War on Thanksgiving.”
So Trump, watching his favorite channel, ran with this bogus War on Thanksgiving nonsense and warned his adoring fans at a rally to beware of this insidious plot by the big, bad liberals to deprive America of Thanksgiving.
And of course, to give their beloved Trump cover, Fox News framed Trump’s baseless claim with the following headline: “Trump vows not to change the name of Thanksgiving despite cries from the ‘radical left.’”
I am sitting here in our clean house with the aromas of dinner cooking in the oven and on the stove as we await our guests to arrive. But it’s really hard to have a pleasant Thanksgiving when I read about bullshit like this.
Especially when it comes from the mouth of the president of my country.
This, That, and the Other 
No doubt🙄
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There are some absolutely horrible people, probably commies or at least socialists, who have been saying that maybe we shouldn’t go shopping the minute we quit stuffing our faces and plow others over at 10PM Thanksgiving night for a deal on an enormous TV at Walmart or wherever and maybe all the retail workers should have the full day off too. Obviously these are not real red-blooded Americans to suggest such a thing!
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How dare them?
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Funnily enough, I Googled something about Thanksgiving today. I did see something about how it should be abolished, though I had never heard of the authors. Presumably they would be the progressives that Trump is talking about? Trouble is, anyone can write something and put it on the web, plus you have so many people there. there is bound to be someone with any view you can imagine.
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True, but the president should know better than to pass on such crapola.
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I’m sure it is deliberate strategy. Bunker mentality – try to manufacture an us-v-them situation. Those nasty lefties are wanting to do this. that or the other, thank goodness we have a president who’ll fight them.
Just gotta hope other people do see through it as you have. I don’t think for a minute that Trump is an idiot, but I do think he’s cunning. He’ll have said the words because he thought there was gain in doing so.
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I think those progressives are called “Russians, Chinese,, and Trump’s personal fanatics.”
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I must admit, I thought exactly that. The story is basically Trump inventing a threat, where none exists. And I draw a parallel there with Russia, except in this case, intelligent people have called him out on it. With Russia, there isn’t particularly a counter-balance. I think the media, and people who control the media, and by extension, those who control the media, including people like Trump, do a lot of manipulation.
We have an anomaly here at the moment where political parties are using names like “factcheck”. The thinking, clearly, is that while people might not believe it coming from the party itself, they might believe it when it says “fact” behind it. In another age, we might have called it propaganda, but it shows the power of suggestion.
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This guy is evil, along with his FOX news!
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I suppose that all the food miles and travel do add up to a big carbon footprint but it is an important holiday in the USA and I doubt that anyone has seriously thought of changing it or abolishing it. You know who is just looking for another big stick to bash the opposition with as politicians up for reelection always do.
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Turn off the news and watch some football.
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No one else I know of has ever objected to Thanksgiving. it’s a secular holiday. There’s nothing to object to unless you object to holidays in which case, work. Fine with me.
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If you want a peaceful holiday, avoid TV at all costs.
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That’s pretty much what I ended up doing today, Sadje. It helped.
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I do it every day. I am happier because of it.
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Ignore it. It just upsets me. . .no news today for me.
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I try so hard to ignore Trump. I’m just not very good at it.
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I try. Did you see Judy’s post from Lydia? Interesting
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Yes.
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He can try, but money can’t change history.
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I have never heard of anyone objecting to Thanksgiving? Then again I didn’t really anyone object to Christmas either. Other than Republicans being offended by “Happy Holidays” on a coffee cup. Because it’s never occurred to them that not everyone celebrates a Christian Christmas.
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For eight years under Obama whenever I said Merry Christmas in a store to a clerk, they’d look at me like I had said a four letter word. Now I can say it freely. Similarly not one clerk said Happy Thanksgiving after spending three hundred on food in the grocery store. There is something going on. Holidays are slowly being eliminated by PC, atheist, and climate change culture. When’s the last time a vegan hosted Thanksgiving? Never. No one would come. Just saying. Wake up and smell the turkey roasting.
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I’ve never gotten a strange look whenever I said “Merry Christmas.” Never! As to no one saying “Happy Thanksgiving” to you, either you live in a very hostile place or you give off hostile vibes. Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, MLK’s Birthday are not religious holidays. Why would atheists want to eliminate them? My DIL is vegan and my daughter is vegetarian, but they joined us yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner. And my DIL (the vegan) is hosting Thanksgiving next year. So you are totally full of shit. But given that your blog’s name is “Better Off With Trump,” that’s to be expected.
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When libs are wrong they always resort to name calling. Thanks for proving it. BTW you live in a bubble. Not I. I shop in the real world, country, suburbs, and city. All the same. Clerks are told what to say at the checkout counter. Trust me. That’s why they always ask, “Did you find everything you looked for?” Or “How’s your day going?” And when you tell them honestly “no I couldn’t find something”, they look like robots that just blew a circuit. What’s DIL? Sorry you live with vegies and vegans, hard to please them. It’s a fad.
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Name calling? What name calling did I use in my post? It’s your man, Trump who always uses name calling of those he considered his opponents. And you think I live in a bubble? That’s funny. Store clerks are instructed to be helpful and courteous. You apparently don’t hold people who work in the retail world in very high esteem if you think all they are is programmed robots. DIL is short for daughter-in-law. As to vegans and vegetarians, I’m not one, but I respect those who are. Seems like the only people you respect are those who support your moron-in-chief.
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I think saying someone is “full of shit” falls into the category of naming? Trump calls someone a name after they’ve had a go at him. Always in defense. Never offense. I’m a student of human behavior and when a clerk freezes when I answer one of their pat questions it’s clear to me they have been told to ask the same old tired question of everyone. But there are a few exceptions which is enjoyable. I’m not against vegans or vegies. Read my blog, ‘Is anyone else sick of people telling us their food restrictions?” It’s the fact that they have to tell us. If you don’t eat meat, don’t eat it. If you don’t eat dairy, don’t it. Spare us the reasons why. We don’t care.
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“Trump calls someone a name after they’ve had a go at him. Always in defense. Never offense.” Trump calls anyone who criticizes him derogatory names. He calls the free press the enemy of the American people when they don’t sing his praises. His ego is so fragile that he has to lash out at anyone who disagrees with him. I find that very offensive. And if you believe that he is only on defense and never on offense, then you are extremely naïve (at best). And if you are a student of human behavior and can’t recognize the narcissistic, lying, sexist, racist, nationalistic behavior of the man you do admire, you’re a pretty bad student. Stop waiting your time on store clerks and examine your hero. As to vegans and vegetarians, what’s your beef (pun intended) with them. I’ve never had one go I to any long explanations for their food preferences. I just accept them for who they are. You might want to give that a try.
Oh, I’m sorry for saying that you’re full of shit. As Joe Biden would say, you’re full of malarkey.
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You have to admit that Trump has had 95% negative press from the MSM. Everyone knows that. You called me a name again–naive. You can’t help yourself. Trump is none of the names you called him from narcissistic to racist. Those are lies spread by the MSM. Vegans don’t go into long explanations but they demand “special attention” (a little narcissistic IMO) in restaurants and in private homes. If you know ones that don’t, then lucky you. BYW food preferences aren’t who people are. I don’t believe in labeling people by what they eat or them labeling themselves. Biden is full of something but it isn’t malarkey.
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Whatever negative press Trump gets is earned. And yes, if you really can’t see that Trump is a narcissist, is racist, is sexist, is a conman, and is a liar, then you are, indeed, naive…or willfully ignorant. I’m sorry if you feel that’s name-calling. I’m just expressing my opinion. I don’t expect you to agree.
BTW, I read your screed on people who don’t share your food preferences and left a comment. It’s awaiting moderation. I wonder if you’ll approve it.
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I marked it as spam. You don’t understand me. I never said anything about health conditions. I know lots of vegans and vegies and none of them are because of health concerns. Period. Most of them are due to a fad. They saw some movie about cruelty to animals.
Trump doesn’t deserve anything he is getting from the MSM. He’s a civic leader not a politician and he’s done wonders for our country. Or as Jon Voight says, “These people are not well.” (The people against Trump). Best quote of the year. BestoffwithTrump! I’m not fighting with you. Willfully ignorant something I call “the gullibles.” Notice I haven’t called you one name. The last thing I am is naive or gullible or ignorant.
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So you marked my comment on one of your posts as spam, huh? So like your hero, Donald Trump, you can dish it out but you can’t take it. I see. Well, I joined your 28 other followers because it’s always interesting to me to see how the other side rationalizes things. But since you apparently have no interest in posting a dissenting opinion, I don’t see any reason to continue to follow your blog. By the way, feel free to continue to comment on my posts. I don’t censor or mitigate other people’s comments just because they don’t reinforce my personal and political perspectives.
Finally, FYI, my daughter is a vegetarian and has been for 20 years. My daughter-in-law (DIL) is a vegan and has been for more than a decade. Hardly a fad after watching a movie.
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I don’t dish it out. You do. I’m just frank, blunt, and maybe too harsh for you. You don’t need to follow me as you are intolerant of my traditional views.
I just don’t see the need of people labeling themselves by what they eat. It’s like they’re trying to say they’re better than the rest of us. Like Cory Booker tells us he’s a vegan and that he’s healthier than Trump. Dumb comment. We don’t say we’re carnivorous do we? Certainly not. There’s an old saying, “It’s not WHAT you eat, it’s what’s eating you.” (that kills you)
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You don’t dish it out? Whoa, you really are deluded. You come on MY blog and make all of these negative comments about the media, about liberals, about vegans and vegetarians, about store clerks. (I am not any of those except liberal, by the way). I let you comments be posted on my blog and I respond to your comments. But I make one comment on one of your posts and you mark it as spam and refuse to post it. So it seems you feel free to express your biased opinions on other’s blogs, but don’t want to hear and post opposing opinions on your own blog. But like your hero, you’re thin skinned. So, as I said, you can dish it out but you can’t take it.
So don’t worry. I won’t join your cadre of 28 followers. Feel free not to join my almost 2,800 followers. 😏
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I did not make hateful comments about YOU. You came at me in that one comment so I sent it to spam. I don’t respond to hateful comments. I have opinions but I don’t write them to be demeaning of you. Store clerks do what their company tells them. No offense to store clerks. I respect waiters and chefs and never return a meal. I think I’m about being considerate of others. You’ve called me a myriad of names thinned skinned and deluded now none of which I am and I not one of you. And trust me I have many. Nuff said to you.
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So if the waiter gives you a meal that you did not order of if the chef prepares a meal in a way that you didn’t request (e.g., cooks it well done when you asked for medium rare) you will just accept it rather than sending it back? That’s not showing respect, that’s being submissive.
So you think store clerks are automatons who do nothing more and nothing less than what their companies tell them to do? Do their employers tell them to “act like robots that just blew a circuit” if asked anything but a pat question?
Should a vegetarian just shut up and eat meat rather than ask for something that meets their dietary preferences?
By the way, you invited me to read your post titled, “Is Anyone Else Sick of People Telling Us Their Diet or Food Restrictions?” I read it and I commented on it (and didn’t say anything “hateful” about you) and you refused to post my comment. Well, it’s your blog and that is your right. But in the future, don’t invite people to read a post you wrote and then not post their comment on that post. As I said, you can dish it out but you can’t take it. ‘Nuff said to you, as well.
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I sure do make it clear meat is important to me. I don’t usually say it in the term carnivorous, but yeah, I’m a carnivore. Seriously, I will say this. And have said. Sometimes it’s said with a laugh, but I mean it. Sometimes, the way I say it is that protein is important to me. (Sometimes, that means eggs, rather than flesh, specifically. Nevertheless, this is clearly something about me.) I do also like vegetables, and I can get protein from vegetables… love lentils, etc… but meat is the easiest and most common way (where I live) that people serve protein when it’s not breakfast time. So… if I’m discussing with someone what we’re going to cook or go buy, it comes up. And what if I said I’m a Jew, and I eat kosher? Is that going to mess with you?
When I was going through my childbearing years, I read a lot of information concerning nutrition. I had done so prior, as well, but now it was specifically relating to how you nurture the life inside as well as tend to your own body’s needs. I remember one author talked about how some hosts/hostesses may be very personally invested in you eating whatever they put in front of you. And you might feel it insulting, and unacceptable, to turn something down. But it is important that you summon the courage to get past this and make good decisions. Or even just decisions that you know are best for you… that won’t upset your stomach or your sense of responsibility. The way someone eats is significant, as is not disregarding the person.
I live in an area with a lot of outstanding restaurants nearby. The chef at one of them recently won the top award in the area for his work. Often, when I go there, he wants to just “cook for” me/my table (rather than do the usual choosing off the menu). Every time, he asks, with genuine interest, if there are any food restrictions or sensitivities or anything anyone doesn’t like to eat. It’s a respect, a courtesy. It’s probably also a *challenge. He likes to do the best he can to make his clientele happy with their experience. He listens closely when it’s time for the answer to his question. It’s a gourmet (and locally-sourced, when possible) place. And someone I know has gone and told the chef he has decided to begin eating a certain way.
*Rising to the challenge and seeing each person is a way of being that he finds to involve integrity and to be fulfilling. His establishment doesn’t have to be like a chain.
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I’m married to a Jew so no. No one’s food restrictions or diet offends me, it’s them telling us about it like they are special or healthier than the rest of us moderate-eating, slim folks. Just a pet peeve is all. Nothing to get our feathers puffed up about. They should be polite and eat around what they don’t wish to eat or not put it on their plate. It’s all about manners with me. Of course, anyone on a weight losing diet, I can relate to. I live by that.
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I am married to a man with some severe food allergies that could either put him in hospital or he will be sick for a week. It is rare to find a restaurant that can accommodate his needs on a consistent basis. If you are unable to speak with a restaurant owner you might as well be whistling to the wind. No one cares. You can’t expect someone to “eat around” what they are allergic to as it is used in the preparation and you do not see it. Believe me. His food allergies are mostly processed foods and GMO oils etc. This is not a fad, or a gluten-free diet or trying to stay heathy, its about staying alive. The only place that takes these things seriously is Europe. Many of the harmful stuff consumed here is banned in Europe.
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Referring back, depending on the level of kosher, those food substances one doesn’t eat are not something one can eat around either. (Well. You can… but… )
I know there are some conscientious chefs who are stringent about cooking utensils and separate surfaces for people who need special consideration.
Slightly off-topic: I, some months ago, happened upon an Israeli man at a concert. (I think he was Sephardic — and we were at a Hispanic concert.) One thing he wanted to talk about was how great all the fruits [I love fruit too] and the bread are in Israel. He explained this was due to letting the land rest (on the schedule in the Bible). But here, we get all worked up about not just doing “whatever we want.” Make a buck. Slap. Dash.
One last thought. There are also people who eat vegetarian because it’s an easier way to eat in a kosher manner. No foods cooked with lard, etc.
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I think fandango’s comment about being Jewish and keeping Kosher was directed at the other ladies husband. 🙂
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Yes, my comment was directed at the woman whose blog is inextricably titled “Better Off With Trump.”
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Yes, I saw that later, Christine. I brought it up in the first place, though. But there are ways that’s similar to someone who can’t have certain other things cooked into the food, unseen. I think people who have dealt with one issue or another have more understanding.
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For the last time, I’m not referring to those with health issues with food.What part of that don’t you ladies get? It’s starting to be annoying.
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Being kosher isn’t, for the most part, about health issues. The ways the animals and meat are treated are probably healthier for all of us, however. The meat one can get at a natural food store often is handled the same way, so that makes things a little easier.
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I know that. I’m not talking about kosher food. Someone said they had allergy to peanuts.
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Your husband is Jewish? I assume he doesn’t keep kosher. If he did, you’d probably be tired of hearing him telling people (and you) of his diet or food restrictions, just as you are of vegans and vegetarians.
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Actually he’s type I diabetic with lots of food issues and he never tells the waiter or the chef. He deals with it on his plate. He’s considerate of waiters.
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I don’t know much about type 1 diabetes, but I did look it up and it is apparently not directly tied to dietary or lifestyle factors like Type 2 diabetes is. It does involve monitoring the intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However, there’s no single universal diabetes diet. In any case, “being considerate of waiters” should be secondary to what is in the individual’s personal preferences and/or health matters. I don’t understand why you feel there is or should be a problem with telling the chef or waiter of any such food issues. But I don’t understand how you — or anyone — can think America is better off with Trump, either.
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No chef wants to make you ill from his cooking. Your guy sounds really nice.
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My comment above is for Marleen
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Yes, he’s very nice. Everyone there (servers, the manager, and so on) are warm and friendly. The chef has told us his life story when hanging out at a nearby (different) restaurant after hours. And part of his story involves attending a local cooking school (while he has made his pilgrimage to France, besides other places, too). He hitchhiked here when he was eighteen.
A few weeks ago, I attended a wine dinner there. The guests all gravitated toward sitting together at the center tables rather than in separate grouping of those with whom they’d arrived. A young lady who had served me on other occasions was at my table. The presenter was from a vineyard in Washington (state). She told us background and stories and so on. She mentioned, at some point, her son getting braces (a son none of us knew). We clapped for [I’ll say Joey] her son. By the end, she said it was the best one of those dinners she’s done, and she was crying.
Oh, and the food was outstanding. Paired to the wines. A favorite was squab.
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Sounds lovely Marleen. Very special 🙂
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That’s what this is really about. We were better off and still are when I came up with the blog name. Don’t need to explain why, just glad we won and pray we will again for America’s sake.
Type I is serious. You can die in your sleep from low blood sugar. His drops to 40 some nights. In a restaurant he needs to bring an insulin pen. He calculates how much carbs he’ll be eating and the appropriate amount of insulin injection into his stomach. If the portion of potatoes are too many, he leaves them. But he never tells a waiter or a chef of his dietary restrictions. Never ever.
But this conversation started about you saying there wasn’t a war on Thanksgiving. I just commented because I remembered that stores were stopping saying Merry Christmas or having Christmas decorations. Now it is coming back to normal. That’s all. I normally don’t go on leftwing blogs but your title intrigued me as I hadn’t heard of that but that maybe there’s something to it. I mentioned that PC culture was changing the way we live or something to that effect. That’s all.
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Oh yes, you are so innocent, right. On your very first comment on my post you denigrated President Obama for making it inappropriate for anyone to say “Merry Christmas” (which was not true) and claimed that now, thanks to Trump, you feel safe, once again to say “Merry Christmas.” You then blasted the “PC, atheist, and climate change culture” for “eliminating holidays.” And then you aimed your venom at vegans, telling them to “wake up and smell the turkey roasting.” That was your opening salvo.
And now you say, “I just commented because I remembered that stores were stopping saying Merry Christmas or having Christmas decorations. (Also not true, at least not anywhere I ever lived during the Obama years). Now it is coming back to normal. That’s all.”
That’s all, huh? Interesting perspective on your own words.
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You’re very dismissive of my honest experience from the beginning saying I give off bad vibes to the clerk and have no respect for the clerk. It’s just my observation in stores. It’s not up for debate. People other than you are allowed to have opinions and different experiences in the world. You need to be more open minded and not so mistrustful of those that don’t agree with you. Just saying.
But I won’t click on your next attack on conservatives, Trump, or FOX News.See enough of that crap in the MSM. Liberalism is a cult. That’s why you have many followers.
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You wrote, “…not one clerk said Happy Thanksgiving after spending three hundred on food in the grocery store. There is something going on.” I went to at least four different grocery stores the week of Thanksgiving and every store clerk I came in contact with wished me Happy Thanksgiving. I asked others (friends and family) if any of them encountered people in stores who didn’t say Happy Thanksgiving. Not one said they had an experience like that. So when you said, “there is something going on here” and then blamed it on the “PC, atheist, and climate change culture,” I merely observed that the something that was going on may have been that “either you live in a very hostile place or you give off hostile vibes.” But if you want to blame others, that’s your right.
As to your not clicking on my posts, that’s your choice. In any event, I genuinely hope you have happy holidays.
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I’ve never seen places decreasing decorations they had before. Some people say happy holidays, sure. I think freedom of speech is good. One time, though, someone came up to me and delivered a “Merry Christmas” in a way that wasn’t really a greeting. It was like a crusade. I just sort of in a stunned (but smiling) way said, “you too.”
I compare some people’s perception of the holidays during the Obama years to an interesting aspect of a series called “WestWorld.” They were programmed to not see certain things that in reality were, in fact, present. Greetings, tinsel. Something similar applies to their perception of Obama as racist. Just bizarre, reflective upon themselves.
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I guess Sonoma is a hostile town. Go figure. I don’t give off hostile vibes. Again with the cuts. They are very nice otherwise and offer to carry out my cart etc. (which I decline). I just wish they’d end the transaction with a Happy Thanksgiving. Again it’s just an observation probably NOTHING to it.
This year when I Christmas shop, I’m going to say Merry Christmas to every clerk and will record their response just for you and get back to you. I didn’t start the war on holidays news, you wrote about it. I just said “there may be something to it” which could be due to political correctness. Maybe saying Merry Christmas offends other religions. How knows? We are definitely living in a new PC culture where comedians complain that they can’t go to colleges to do their gigs any longer for fear of being booed. I’m not the first to mention this. “Merry Christmas” and I’ll be back.
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I’ve been to Sonoma and Napa a few times and have always found the people there to be very friendly. So I don’t know why they refused to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
“I’m going to say Merry Christmas to every clerk and will record their response just for you and get back to you.” Well, that seems kind of anal to me, but whatever floats your boat.
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They didn’t refuse to say Happy Thanksgiving. It just wasn’t in their daily dialog. Too busy working I suspect. They are friendly tho and nice otherwise. I’m new to Sonoma so still figuring it out.
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You seem to have mellowed out about this whole Happy Thanksgiving issue since your first comment on my post, when you groused, “…not one clerk said Happy Thanksgiving after spending three hundred on food in the grocery store.” Sounded to me like you were really pissed off by their “slight.” But, as they say, time heals all wounds.
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Takes more than that to piss me off. I didn’t think twice about it until your article. But I finally got an unprompted “Merry Christmas” at Bed bath and Beyond today. Most say, “have a nice weekend” but if I prompt them with a MC, they’ll say “thank you, you too.” I’m in Northern Nevada now.
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Wow, my post must have really triggered you. Anyway, you and I seem to be at relatively peace. Appropriate for the season, right?
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I click on a lot of posts. I wouldn’t call it triggering. I call it curious. Tis the season. I commented on a Peloton post today. Let’s see who gets mad at me now.
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I couldn’t care less about that Peloton post. That commercial is a stupid thing for anyone to get upset about. The only thing that really upsets me is the damage Trump has done — and is still doing — to our country’s reputation around the world, to the environment, to the truth, to the rule of law, to human decency and dignity, and to the country I love. America would be so much better off without him. And without Mitch McConnell, and Mike Pence, to name a few.
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How old are you and where abouts do you live? Let me guess. You’re about 59 and live in Oregon, Washington or Colorado. Just guessing.
I didn’t care either but it was brought up to me by someone so I looked it up. Ads don’t upset me. You jump to conclusions a lot. BTW It’s “I could care less” not “couldn’t.” Common speaking error.
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I hate to be argumentative, but you’re very wrong about could and couldn’t care less. Logically, if you COULD care less, it means you do care some. But saying that you COULDN’T care less means that you don’t care at all. So my usage was not an error. It was absolutely accurate.
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No I’m not. My editor, who taught creative writing at USC, corrected me on this very subject. It is more proper in writing to write “could care less.” But they mean exactly the same thing. According to Merriam Webster: “There is little doubt that “couldn’t care less” is the older form, although no one is certain where this came from. There has been speculation that it is British in origin, and that American soldiers returning from World War II brought it to these shores. While it may indeed have come from the United Kingdom, there is clear evidence that couldn’t care less was in use prior to the 1940s.” Could care less is the modern day usage in writing. We’re never going to agree on anything really.
Did I guess right?
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Sorry but your editor doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The two phrases have opposite meanings. “I couldn’t care less” means that it’s impossible for me to care any less about the subject at hand than I already do.
On the other hand, “I could care less” literally means “I care more than I might seem to.” If you could care less, you’re saying that you care some, which is the opposite of not caring at all.
I’m not disagreeing you for the sake of disagreeing. I’m disagreeing on THIS because I am right and you — and your editor — are WRONG!
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My editor is female and that’s your interpretation. I quoted you Merriam Webster. Your way is old school. They are synonyms, sorry. Not opposites. Do you always argue with teachers? I must have guessed right.
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Do you realize how hilarious this is?
BTW It’s “I could care less” not “couldn’t.” Common speaking error.
If I were a student, I wouldn’t argue with my teacher unless it were to be over something more important. After school, people who like “old school” or clear logic aren’t wrong because your teacher said so.
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So you think “could” and “couldn’t” are synonyms? How about “do” and “don’t,” “can” and “can’t,” “yes” and “no”? They are all examples of opposite, my dear, not synonyms. You can’t just change the definition or meaning of words whenever it suits your needs. If you couldn’t do something, it’s not the same as if you could do something. I COULD be doing something better with my time than arguing with you here because I COULDN’T care less what you and your editor think.
And don’t forget, you’re the one who started this by calling my totally correct usage of “couldn’t care less” a “common speaking error.”
And yes, I will argue with anyone, including teachers, who, after all, are human and are not infallible, when they are clearly wrong.
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I think I will believe a college writing teacher. Times have changed since l940. They are up on all the latest. Why do you think there is a career as editor. That’s what they do, correct grammar. “Irregardless” has been replaced with just “regardless.” ”Often” has silent “t” but most young people on air pronounce the t. Did I guess right?
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“Irregardless” has NEVER been a “real” word. It was a misuse of the word “regardless,” perhaps confusing it with the real word, “irrespective.” “Regardless” is and always has been the correct word, so it didn’t REPLACE “irregardless. And I know of almost no one, including my own kids and their friends, who pronounce the “t” in often.
I spent much of my working life writing, editing, and proofing professional journal articles, so I do know what I’m talking about, regardless of what you and your editor think.
I’ve got a post scheduled for publication on Monday that you might want to read.
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From the website, Learner’s Dictionary,
“Couldn’t care less” and “could care less” are both used to mean someone doesn’t care at all, but English teachers and grammarians will say that only “couldn’t care less” is correct, so that is what you should use in formal or academic writing.
Not that a blog is formal writing, but to say “couldn’t care less” is, as you said, a “common speaking error,” is inaccurate. In fact, it’s not an error at all, and is, grammatically speaking, correct. Period.
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We will have to agree to disagree on this. Have a nice week.
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I’d be interested if you would share this dialogue with your editor and hear what she thinks about our discussion.
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Since she corrected this in my last novel, I don’t think it’s necessary. Let it go.
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Let me ask you one more question to illustrate my point. Have you heard the expression “I couldn’t agree with you more.” That means that I totally and completely agree with you. But if you said “I could agree with you more, that means that there is a possibility that you have room for even greater agreement. Right? So why wouldn’t the same thing apply to “I couldn’t care less” versus “I could care less.” That is the difference between saying you could do something more and you couldn’t do something more. Maybe you should let it go.
And if she correct “couldn’t care less” to “could care less” in your last novel, you should consider finding a new editor.
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Saw a 2107 movie last night and had a laugh when Glenn Close said, “I could care less.” I think liberal Hollywood writers have good editors and know the proper usage.
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🙄
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I found another. This one from television:
Sea Oak pilot
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Which one?
What Happened to Monday
The Wilde Wedding
The Wife
Crooked House
Father Figures
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-xpm-2013-03-13-ct-tribu-words-work-care-less-20130313-story.html
Compare Taylor Swift?
(Unlike for Taylor Swift, there is a contingent irked that Glenn Close hasn’t won yet.)
Next a bit of history, courtesy of Christine Ammer, author of The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:
“‘I couldn’t care less’ originated in Great Britain, probably in the late 1930s, and was very popular by the 1940s,” Ammer told me. “It not only expressed bored indifference but, during World War II, bravado. An informal history of civilian ferry pilots during the war by Anthony Phelps was entitled ‘I Couldn’t Care Less.’
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https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/could-care-less-versus-couldnt-care-less
… But the Oxford English Dictionary calls “could care less” a “U.S. colloquial phrase,” and the linguist Lynne Murphy, who blogs about the differences between British and American English, also notes that Americans say “could care less” far more often than the British.
……
The phrase “I couldn’t care less” started in Britain and made its way to the United States in the late 1940s.
But it wasn’t long until Americans corrupted the phrase (if you’re prone to think of it that way). The first example of “could care less” in the OED is from 1966, and it is indeed from an American newspaper, but it sounds like something a regular person either said or wrote—not a journalist. It’s listed as coming from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, but I believe it may have actually come from a syndicated Ann Landers advice column. The sentence pops up in multiple newspapers when I do a Google search. It also sounds like it would come from an advice column. Judge for yourself. It reads:
*My husband is a lethargic, indecisive guy who drifts along from day to day. If a bill doesn’t get paid, he could care less.*
I think she’s asking for advice. …
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The Wife
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Thanks!🙂
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