> > > It might be a local idiom, but I hear people say, "I could care less." I think it means they don't care at all, but it confuses me. Shouldn't they say, "I couldn't care less."?
> > > Howard
> >
> > It isn't local. It's universal, and extremely STUPID. I hear the same thing everywhere I go -- even catch myself saying it, for Pete's sake -- and it irritates me to no end.
> >
> > On the topic of nonsensical idioms, who exactly is "Pete", and why should we be doing all these things for his sake?
> >
> > Iss "sakes alive!" achar
>
> I dunno...maybe it means St. Peter?
>
> Another thing I don't get: Why do we say Merry Christmas? We say Happy Hanauka, Happy New Year's, Happy Birthday etc etc, so why *Merry* Christmas? Why not Happy Christmas?
>
> M"I just don't get it, for Pete's sake!"el

"Happy Christmas," IMO, sounds like an entry from _10,001 Baby Names for Parents Who Want Their Children To Get Beat Up At Recess_.

Another one is "don't start with me." Obviously, if someone has reason to say that, the other person has already started, so the logical expression would be "don't continue with me." It has failed to catch on.

Fob"whaddaya mean, what kind of name is Fobulis?"ulis