could care less vs couldn't care less

[BFM]

This one's been bugging me for quite some time now.

I get the impression that there's no difference at all, meaningwise. Back in he states, or when i watch movies in english, people seem to use both for *don't care at all*.

Let's say a freind of yours does't like that Pete guy. So when he hers Pete lost 500 dollars, he says:
* Yeah man, i could less about that. *

But what he's actually saying is he doesn't care at all, right ? (So he actually doesn't care less)

So it would be the same as :* Yeah man, i couldn't care less about that.*

I think it's a lil confusing to have a positive statement and a negative statement of the same phrase that say exactly the same.

What do you guys think about that ? Is my impression right ?

[babel]

Hmm... well, British English again!

I think that if I don't like Pete I don't care about him at all. In fact I care so little that it would not be possible for me to care any less than I do. So I could not care less.

As for I could care less that should mean that I do care a little bit.
It's modern use, I is often emphasised. I think it came from "As if I could care less!" It's popular among young Brits too. I would not write this one because it might be unclear.

The dictionary gives I couldn't care less.

But you know, when we're speaking, us English speakers, what's grammar? We could care less! Cos frankly my dear, we don't give a damn! [1939 film Gone with the Wind starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh]

[CPB]

American English: "I couldn't care less" is correct. "I could care less" is a colloquialism that means basically the same thing; it possibly conveys a little more force for being ungrammatical or illogical. Another example "I couldn't give a s**t." More forceful (but illogical): "I could give a s**t."

Also, sometimes in American English seemingly opposite terms mean the same thing, e.g. "flammable" and "inflammable"

[BFM]

Thanks guys.
CPB, that's great stuff. Helped me a lot.