Quick Question for Americans

[blamebrampton]

I have a usage question, fingers crossed there are a couple of people ambling by who can answer it.

I know that the use of 'I could care less' for 'I couldn't care less' is regional in the US (it's confusing to the rest of us, but once you know it exists and isn't an ironic turning of the phrase, it's easily understood, so no wuckers (as about 11 Australians still say).)

HOWEVER, I see an enormous amount of 'That's such a cliché ending,' but I don't know whether that's US standard, like aluminum*, or US regional like could care less.

Help!


* I'd say it was all Noah Webster's fault, which it pretty much is, but Humphry Davy started the whole palaver. I read an hilarious blog about ten years ago with a British scientist ranting about the fact that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry's ruling in favour of aluminium was broadly ignored in the US. 'Fine!' he wrote. 'In that case, Sulphur! SULPHUR! Phuck you all!'

Comments

[azurelunatic]

My inner descriptivist and inner prescriptivist have monthly pitched battles. Heh.

And it's one keyboard standard letter! (é is a good friend of mine, but I am understanding when people find it difficult to express letters which are not on their region's default keyboards. However, when I met the large iron directional sign at work which read Cafe', there were words exchanged with the department responsible for arranging for expensive permanent signs without grammar checking.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I hear you! I find myself having to exchange brains depending on whether I am upholding style guide at work, beta-ing in fandom, or writing on words or grammar for mags, books or text books. No wonder I'm increasingly unable to find my sunglasses!

But there's no excuse for Cafe'. Unless they really wanted to give everyone a laugh ;-)

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Oh I dunno. Maybe they thought it was short for 'cafeteria' and shoved in an apostrophe to replace the missing word end?