Standard English on its own can be very difficult to master, even for native speakers. There are so many rules and then there are even more exceptions to those rules.English idiomscan be more confusing, especially when they get significantly detached from their respective origins.
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One phrase that I see misused not uncommonly is all in all, with many people saying or writing allandall instead. The correct term has always been all in all. This roughly has the meaning of with all things considered. A similar phrase would be all said.
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English is a beautifully complex language, but this also means that you have to make sure you are using it correctly! All in all, I hope this post has been useful. Do you have any grammar questions youd like clarified? Let me know through the comments below.
I read somewhere that could not care less is an Americanized version of could care less. To me, the former seems like the more correct version as it is more of an absolution.
Thanks for the tip. I honestly dont know what I used to say: I just dont pay that much attention to myself when Im speaking. I hope that after reading this, though, I will make sure to use the correct one.
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Oh, and could care less is a mistake that bothers me to the point I almost physically contort when I hear it.
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Saying you couldnt care less, conversely, implies that it is not physically possible for you to care less than you do. If you could measure care-ingness, you currently care 0.
Im an European with a different native language,so my English always needs improvements ?
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Im not sure thats quite right. Saying you could care less sounds to me like you, well, could care less. That is, it IS possible for you to care LESS than you do at the moment. That means you care at least a little bit at the moment, which is the opposite of what youre trying to say.
It may be common for people to use all and all in that sentence instead, but it is not the traditional phrase and it would be considered nonstandard usage. Hearing all and all doesnt bother me nearly as much as I could care less, but it does irk me a little. Both of those phrases make logical sense, so they should be easier to remember than the countlesscontradictory idiomsthatareconsidered to be fairly standard usage.
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I would also think that when all is said and done would be a like term for All in All.
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For example:The early mornings were difficult and my feet hurt after those long hikes, but all in all, the excursions into the Australian Outback were well worth the effort.