# Really weird phrases that you never think about **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357 "2008-12-02T16:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/61 "2008-12-06T11:59:42Z")
> [@AllWalker](#): > > Yeah, languages evolve. It is interesting, but it’s still messy. Evolution leads to things like threw and through being homonyms. To be specific, it was because so many different peoples have invaded the British Isles. I supposed it’s a form of evolution, but at its foundation it’s conquest. ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/62 "2008-12-06T23:58:34Z")
I have an article talking about this sort of stuff (though in much better terms and logic than I am capable of). I know where the article is. But it’s six hundred kilometres away and behind two locks - only one of which I have the key for. Damn. > [@guizot](#): > > If you want every word to not be “stupid” you’re going to have to expand the OED by about ten times at least. Yeah, I know. To spare the rest of the language, some words take on extra functions and meanings. For this, I salute their altruistic illogical usage. _salutes_ > [@guizot](#): > > Well, if you hear someone say we went through the park," are you thinking they were throwing things? (By the way they’re not homonyms; they’re homophones.) First off: :smack: Homophones, yes. Secondly, I was more complaining about the spelling this time. -ough used to have a very different sound, one that was eventually lost, which makes threw and through identical in sound. It is probably impossible for a natural language to be completely independent of context. But, as long as there is a trace of ambiguity, I will on occasion make fun of it. I mock because I care. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/63 "2008-12-07T01:09:50Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I suppose you prefer “suddenly.” Is there really a big difference? You must be really fun at parties. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/64 "2008-12-07T01:42:30Z")
> [@grey\_ideas](#): > > I have to admit that I’d never heard “I could care less” as a version of “I couldn’t care less” until it worked it’s way into this board, I’ve never heard it from my US colleagues either, but maybe I’m just lucky that it’s not used in business conversations. > > I expand out “I couldn’t care less” as “I could not care any less about [subject]”…if other words it’s already so far off of my care meter that there is nothing that could happen that would make me care any less about it. To me “I could care less” sounds like it’s possible to feel more about the subject, which is the opposite of what I’m trying to express. > > meh…as long as it’s understood by those hearing it 🙂 Maybe I’m just filling in the blanks for no reason, but I always interpreted it as “I suppose I COULD care less, but that’d actually take effort.” In other words “I’m so apathetic about what you just told me it’d actually take MORE effort to care less, and as such make me have to consider and care about your statement more than I do now.” ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/65 "2008-12-07T11:44:30Z")
> [@AllWalker](#): > > It is probably impossible for a natural language to be completely independent of context. But, as long as there is a trace of ambiguity, I will on occasion make fun of it. I mock because I care. Well that’s the basis of punning, except the caring part. > [@friedo](#): > > You must be really fun at parties. I can find tons of things a lot more funny than the phrase “all of a sudden.” How about “all in a day’s work”? Now that’s a real knee slapper. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357.md?page=3)