In something like this example: “Well, you mind as well throw out the milk – it’s spoiled now, and isn’t good for anything else.”
Any idea:
(1) Whether it’s “mine as well,” “mind as well,” or something entirely different?
(2) The etymology/evolution/construction of this phrase? In other words, how did “mind/mine as well” begin to mean what it did, and what did it arise from?
The correct phrase is “You might as well…”
Am I simply insane, or have I heard the “mind as well” / “mine as well” variant, too? I don’t think it’s just me … Google searches on an example phrase, “mind as well do it” (and “mine as well do it”), do yield results, so I don’t think it’s my own private insanity.
I would imagine the “mind as well” or “mine as well” thing is a corruption from “might as well.”
Is it perhaps a colloquialism? I’m a Chicagoan and grew up out here for 14 years, then lived for a time in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for high school and college, respectively. Could I have picked it up somewhere?
The mystery deepens … 
You’re probably correct, there. And it doesn’t help that the usage has drifted somewhat from it’s proper meaning. The phrase “might as well” is meant to compare an absurd action to a real taken action, for example, of giving money to a phony charity one might say “You might as well burn that money for all the good it will do”. But these days, it seems to simply be a way of leading off a piece of advice, as in your milk example.
I have *never * heard “mind as well” or “mine as well.” Could this be something regional?
When I said ‘colloquialism’ above, I meant to say ‘regionalism’ … who knows, it indeed might be something Midwest-focused. I’m curious to see how this thread develops, if it does, as this is a little interesting …
Google “you mind as well” and “you mine as well” – use the quote marks, and you’ll see numerous examples of this. It’[s still completely wrong, but it’s amazing how widespread this is. Morons breed faster than geniuses.
It’s a little unkind to say that someone who says “you mind as well” and “you mine as well” is a ‘moron.’
Poor grammar or a particular colloquial/regional corruption != being a moron.
In any case, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Appreciated.
Re[ally?
Morons have a higher probability of being sexually attractive than geniuses, and sexually attractive people have a MUCH higher probability of breeding, so it’s correct.
It has to do with statistics. There’s a much higher percentage of morons in society than geniuses, and assuming equal probability that a moron or a genius will be born sexually attractive, the probability that a person will be a moron AND be sexually attractive is much higher than the probability that a person will be a genius AND be sexually attractive. Add to this the higher probability that the genius will prefer a life based on more cognitive pursuits, while a moron, having no interest or potential for that kind of life, will have a much higher probability of spending much of his/her time at endeavors that are likely to improve his/her looks: the gym, spa, mall (shopping for clothes) and the like.
Slightly OT, but I really hate seeing “should of.” I am by no means calling these people morons, but doesn’t it stick out to people as nonsensical?
Should have, should have, should have. 
“Should of” is just really a misspelling of “should’ve.” I’ve also seen well-known authors write it out this way (in quoted material especially) to convey a character’s dialect. It irks me a bit too, as the spelling “Should’ve,” although a bit aesthetically wanting, conveys the same pronunciation as “should of” AND is grammatically correct.
As for “mind/mine as well.” I’ve lived in Chicago in the city for over twenty years, and I’ve never heard it said this way. While I’m nowhere near a grammar pedant, this construction does strike me as a bit… well … dumb.
I coul[d care less about grammar, spelling or usage.
Hehe, sorry but this reminded me of something.
Shouldn’t it be “I couldn’t care less”? I know lots of people say “I could care less” but doesn’t “couldn’t” make more sense? If you don’t care at all about something, it would be impossible to care less about it, right? Therefore, you couldn’t care less?
Methinks you got whooshed. 
Do a search on “could care less”. We’ve discussed that expression in a bunch of threads already.
Morons, regardless of sexual attractiveness, tend to be more sexually irresponsible than geniuses, and at an earlier age. Thus the heterosexual morons produce more babies who, in turn, become morons themselves.
A cite for this? Look around you.
Methinks you got whooshed.
Maybe right in general, but I wouldn’t classify everyone who uses “mind as well” as a moron. “Might as well” and “mind as well” sound very similar, the way most people pronounce them. And since the phrase is a colloquialism (or close to it) anyway, you’re not going to see it in print in most formal textbooks. Methinks it’s an honest mistake that’s easy to make.
How about fixing this by (all of us) taking a vow to say “May as well.”
I detest the word “might” in this context. I don’t know why. I even catch myself using it sometimes (but I chew myself out for it).