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yellowtamarin
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21 Jan 2011, 11:29 pm

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

Yes.... "I could care less".

Really? Does this mean you DO care?

Yeah, that one especially confused me the first time I heard it because we never say that in Australia, we always say "couldn't care less". I was playing an American computer game and one of the characters said they could care less, and I thought they must care then.

Speaking of shortening, there are some annoying terms that are shortened versions of something else. Remember when we used to say "Care factor zero!" which was annoying enough, but then it turned into "Care factor!" Arrrghh. ( I think then it probably turned into CF???)

Raymond_Fawkes
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21 Jan 2011, 11:33 pm

I've studied psychology and the art of persuasion a little. I know certain words act like magic with probabilities for the desired results. A few key words are "Because" , "Now", "Imagine", "Please", "Thank you" and when greeting somebody greet by their name, and using it once in the beginning and once at the end. These work by passing the critical zone and reaching your sub-conscience level. If people use the term " No offense .. " in a serious demeanor , it will not reach it's targeted effect but stick with that individual and the bad parts in the argument will be highlighted in the brain.

yellowtamarin
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21 Jan 2011, 11:50 pm

League_Girl wrote:

I always interpret it as they aren't saying it to be offensive and don't take it the wrong way like "No offense but you have a very bad landlord."
"No offense but I think you are being paranoid"
"No offense but aren't you worried about what people will think?"

But I have never seen anyone say it and then say something offensive.

Regardless of what they mean by it, it rubs me up the wrong way every time. It sounds like they are being really lazy in their speech and their efforts to "not offend". To refer to one of your examples, I would probably not be offended if someone said to me "You know, I think you are being paranoid", but by putting "No offense but" at the beginning...well now I'm offended!

Raymond_Fawkes wrote:

Nicely put.

MathGirl wrote:

Then how do you say something that might be offensive, but at the same time, it is honest and you feel like it needs to be said?

Just say it. To me anyway, it will sound a lot less offensive that way. Or basically premise it with anything other than "no offense, but", hehe.

Last edited by yellowtamarin on 21 Jan 2011, 11:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

MathGirl
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21 Jan 2011, 11:51 pm

Then how do you say something that might be offensive, but at the same time, it is honest and you feel like it needs to be said?

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TeaEarlGreyHot
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21 Jan 2011, 11:54 pm

MathGirl wrote:

Then how do you say something that might be offensive, but at the same time, it is honest and you feel like it needs to be said?

I just say, "You may not like what I have to say, but I feel it needs to be said."

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yellowtamarin
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21 Jan 2011, 11:57 pm

Oops I made it look like I replied to you before you spoke, MathGirl

MathGirl
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22 Jan 2011, 12:06 am

yellowtamarin wrote:

Oops I made it look like I replied to you before you spoke, MathGirl

It's okay, made me look. I will take these suggestions into consideration in the future before I say something that may fit the "offensive" category. :oops:

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ShadesOfMe
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22 Jan 2011, 6:38 am

Jonsi wrote:

If anyone ever uses 'I' right next to 'seen' in a sentence describing that you have seen something, I will automatically assume you are illiterate. Extreme, I know.

I thought they only did that in bad movies?

Moog
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22 Jan 2011, 6:47 am

Raymond_Fawkes wrote:

Yeah, you just highlighted the word 'offense' in red marker for them to hang the rest of what you say with.

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b9
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22 Jan 2011, 7:15 am

yellowtamarin wrote:

I can't help it, if someone starts their sentence with "No offense, but...", I immediately take a dislike to them and assume that they are of low intelligence and probably really couldn't care less if we took offense or not.

if some one tells me not to take offense about what they are going to say, then i obey them.

i would think or even say "your directive for me to take no offense at your words is the easiest order i have ever been asked to obey. you are not capable of offending me, because just as a gorilla may stick his finger up at me or gnash his teeth at me in the zoo, i know that he is not my species and he is behind bars anyway, so i walk complacently by as they shriek in hostility toward me."

"offense" is felt by people who care. i just see people who insult me as external gabblers who i feel proud that i never invited to be a friend of mine.

there are screechers and haters ....
all sorts of beraters
that line the path that i walk.

but walk will i do
without thought to those few
who don't share my view
in my calm avenue of my thoughts.

people who dislike me are not worth the effort of appraising.

i never feel offended because i do not value anyone's idea of how i should be different.

they are them
and i am me
and through my eyes
they do not see.

Jonsi
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22 Jan 2011, 9:15 am

ShadesOfMe wrote:

Jonsi wrote:

If anyone ever uses 'I' right next to 'seen' in a sentence describing that you have seen something, I will automatically assume you are illiterate. Extreme, I know.

I thought they only did that in bad movies?

They do it here. EVERYONE does it. Bloody hicks.

happymusic
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22 Jan 2011, 9:28 am

Jonsi wrote:

ShadesOfMe wrote:

Jonsi wrote:

If anyone ever uses 'I' right next to 'seen' in a sentence describing that you have seen something, I will automatically assume you are illiterate. Extreme, I know.

I thought they only did that in bad movies?

They do it here. EVERYONE does it. Bloody hicks.

People here of a lower socio-economic status often do it, too. Once I corrected a similar mistake in conversation with some students at work and they said they'd had no idea that what they were saying was incorrect.

Kaybee
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22 Jan 2011, 10:06 am

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

"I could care less".

Really? Does this mean you DO care?

This drives me craaazy. I let most grammatical errors slide, but this one makes me flinch every time.

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22 Jan 2011, 2:30 pm

Kaybee wrote:

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

"I could care less".

Really? Does this mean you DO care?

This drives me craaazy. I let most grammatical errors slide, but this one makes me flinch every time.

I'm often guilty of misusing that one. But I could(n't) care less.

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League_Girl
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22 Jan 2011, 3:16 pm

yellowtamarin wrote:

League_Girl wrote:

What if they said it at the end of their sentence?

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CockneyRebel
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22 Jan 2011, 3:26 pm

This one drives me crazy.

"Pardon the bologna, but aren't you a weenie bit older?"

I'm immature...give me a break! :roll:

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