I couldn't agree with you more(less)

**ttaann** · 01-08-2003, 10:51 PM

Hi TMians

I don't know whether these two expressions have the same meaning:
+ I couldn't agree with you more.

+ I couldn't agree with you less.
I think the former is to agree, and the latter is to disagree.

Phuongled (BTW, you are vertical horison, aren't you

) had asked about " could care less(more)"
And ERIN anwsered that its meaning is

I really, really don't care about that.

For example:

George told me he really, really needed to borrow more money from me because he wants to buy a video game, but I didn't give him any money because I could not care less about what he needs.

So, ERIN, you think that "could care less"=="could care more"?
Could you explain for me?

**Erin** · 01-21-2003, 05:40 PM

Okay, there are two things we need to know for this particular question. First, logic tells us that I could not care less means I am completely uninterested. Similarly, I could not care more means I am completely interested. So far, so good, right?

If you can understand that part, you are ahead of the game. However, there's another wrench to throw in here--many native speakers misuse this particular expression. The correct expression to use when you don't care about something is:

I couldn't care less.

However, many native speakers actually say

I could care less.

to mean the same thing.

This wide misuse is fairly well documented in many sources and is precisely the kind of thing that TOEFL does NOT put on their tests.

Anyway, does that answer your question?

**ttaann** · 01-21-2003, 07:57 PM

Dear ERIN,

First, logic tells us that I could not care less means I am completely uninterested. Similarly, I could not care more means I am completely interested. So far, so good, right?

To tell you the truth, this is completely illogical in Vietnamese. It makes me wonder and wonder a lot. However, it's another story in English. Thank you so much . [tm]

[tm]

However, there's another wrench to throw in here--many native speakers misuse this particular expression. The correct expression to use when you don't care about something is:

I couldn't care less.

However, many native speakers actually say

I could care less.

to mean the same thing.

Oh, so insteresting and so confusing.

This wide misuse is fairly well documented in many sources and is precisely the kind of thing that TOEFL does NOT put on their tests.

So happy to hear that, my teacher.

But "I couldn't agree with you more " is the most frequent trick used by ETS, right, my teacher?
P/S: My teacher, can I call you my teacher?

(in Vietnam, we are not allowed to call our teachers by their first names, we must follow suit, that is His/Her/Your Teacher, please don't laugh then, for it's the way to show students' respect