Plot hole: Joey and Kenny are led to the Oval Office by Charlie through the Presidential Secretary's (and his own) office. Charlie ends the scene saying, "Okay, you're in the Oval Office" as he sends Joey and Kenny that way. Charlie always knows the President's whereabouts and schedule. Yet moments later, Josh arrives in Leo's office where others have gathered to await the start of the same meeting - and Joey and Kenny are also here. Then everyone goes into the Oval Office to await the arrival of the President. It is as if the makers forgot Charlie led Joey and Kenny here moments earlier.
The West Wing (1999)
1 mistake in 100,000 Airplanes
Starring: Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Bradley Whitford, Stockard Channing, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, John Spencer, Janel Moloney, Joshua Malina
Genres: Drama
President Josiah Bartlet: What's next?
Trivia: The theme tune heard for the show "Capital Beat" is actually the theme music for the UK's "News at Ten" on ITV.
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?
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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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.