The West Wing

Posse Comitatus - S3-E22

Corrected entry: In this episode, Charlie says that he was hired by Debbie Fiderer, and that she was fired for it. However, in season one, we see that Josh is the one that hires Charlie.

Correction: In the scene where Josh first interviews Charlie (who had applied for a messenger job), Josh says that "Mrs. DeLaGuardia in personnel" had sent Charlie to Josh because she thought Charlie would be a good candidate for the "body man" position. Mrs. DeLaGuardia was later fired for this, since the son of a supporter of President Bartlet's was supposed to get the job that ultimately went to Charlie. This is why Charlie fought so hard for Debbie Fiderer (who is actually Mrs. DeLaGuardia, now divorced and going by her maiden name) to get Mrs. Landingham's old job - he felt responsible for her being fired in the first place.

The Indians in the Lobby - S3-E8

Corrected entry: When at Thanksgiving Josh is trying to get to his mother's house in South Florida, Donna tells him she got him on standby to a direct flight to Boca. The tiny Boca Raton airport is actually only for private planes; commercial flight go into West Palm Beach or Ft. Lauderdale airports. (00:32:20)

Correction: Commercial flights are often redirected to alternate, smaller airports during busy travel times like Thanksgiving. I live in a city with an international airport and a civil airport across town, and the civil airport is equipped to land a commercial flight if needed.

Captain Defenestrator

Dead Irish Writers - S3-E16

Corrected entry: President Bartlett prides himself on his elocution and knowledge of trivia. However, as he escorts Abbey toward the party, he goes on about a vintage from the Willa-mette Valley. One would think he would know that Willamette is pronounced "Will-a-mette", with the emphasis on the second vowel.

Correction: The President has been shown to make mistakes, even when 'showing off' intellectually. This isn't the first time, and a minor gaffe in a private conversation. If this type of thing happened in a diplomatic situation and went un-noticed, it would be a 'mistake', but as is, it's merely a human trait.

johnrosa

Election Day (Part 1) - S7-E16

Continuity mistake: When Bruno and Bob are poring over exit polls, they mention that Santos seems to be leading in North Dakota, and comment that it is a state that hasn't gone Democratic in forty years. While that is true in the real world, in the fictional West Wing world, it is stated in Season 4 that Bartlet won the Dakotas in his landslide reelection.

marathon69

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Pilot - S1-E1

C.J. Cregg: Is there anything I can say other than the President rode his bicycle into a tree?
Leo McGarry: He hopes never to do it again.
C.J. Cregg: Seriously, they're laughing pretty hard.
Leo McGarry: He rode his bicycle into a tree, C.J., what do you want me...? "The President, while riding his bicycle, came to a sudden arboreal stop."

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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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