The West Wing

In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Corrected entry: The title card tells us it's 12/23 sometime in the morning. Sam mentions he's going to Bermuda in 27 hours (so noonish on 12/24?). Later that day CJ asks if Sam and Josh are doing anything, "tonight?" Sam acts guilty and CJ offers to cook them dinner. Sam says he's leaving for Bermuda that night, which is not in the 27-hour time period previously mentioned. The next day, marked 12/24, Sam is in full black suit hanging around the White House. Granted, the flight could be leaving around noon and it may be only 9am. But no further mention is made of Bermuda.

oregonbeach

Correction: The title card indicates 7:30am. Time passes without being marked, but the President meets with a large group of small school children (which we can assume isn't at 7:30am, but perhaps as early as 9am). Still later, Sam mentions to his assistant that he's going to be in Bermuda in 27 hours. Assuming that is around 10am, 27 hours is 1PM on 12/24. Later, Sam tells CJ he's leaving for Bermuda "tonight" but he's lying (poorly) to cover his visit with Josh to Laurie. The next morning (and we've established he's there 7:30am the previous day), Sam is in the office while CJ is heard telling reporters that today is a "half day". The episode ends still early that morning. Thus, Sam is putting in a couple of hours work on the 24th, then leaving for the airport in time for a less-than-two-hour flight that arrives in Bermuda in the early afternoon. No mistake.

johnrosa

In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Corrected entry: During the funeral they only show 4 people. There should be at least one more. The Arlington Ladies are a group of volunteers dedicated to insuring that no soldier is buried alone. Each branch of the military has its own group that represents them. You can find more on them at www.arlingtoncemetery.net.

Correction: As Toby, Mrs. Landingham and the deceased's brother are all in attendance, this veteran is not 'alone'. A "Ladies" volunteer still may offer to attend such a service, but family and friends can opt to not accept the offer.

johnrosa

Season 5 generally

Continuity mistake: When the plan to kill the Qumari defense minister is being contemplated, several times in the last episodes of Season 3, and at least once in season 4, he 's referred to the Sultan's brother. In season 5, he is referred to as both his cousin and his brother.

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In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Question: This is as good a place to ask as any. In various US TV shows (including this one, and this episode), someone says "I could care less", when they always seem to mean "I couldn't care less", ie. they have no interest in what's going on. Surely if they COULD care less that means they actually care a reasonable amount? Is there any logic to this, or is it just a really annoying innate lack of sense?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: A really annoying innate lack of sense. My friends and family say the same thing all the time, and I'm endlessly trying to correct them. I think people just don't know any better and (ironically) couldn't care less that they're speaking incorrectly.

Answer: It's an endlessly annoying dropped negative, and it's been a common colloquialism for far too long. I believe it comes from an original (and now omitted and merely implied) "As if" preceding the statement. "As if I could care less." (Meaning "As if it were possible that I could care even less than I do.") But there's really no way to know.

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