blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2015-07-12 12:14 pm

Quick Question for Americans

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!'

[identity profile] auntpurl.livejournal.com 2015-07-13 11:52 am (UTC)(link)
In Philadelphia, it's cliché - never clichéd that I've seen/heard. And I had to make an adjustment when I moved to London because the American pronunciation follows the French - with the accent at the end of the word. The Brits saying CLEE-shay really confused me. :)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2015-07-14 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
We do it to annoy Americans, French and Italians, you know ;-)

[identity profile] auntpurl.livejournal.com 2015-07-14 02:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I KNEW IT!