This is what stupid people say when they, in fact, mean, "I couldn't care less." The intent of the phrase is to express the fact that the level of caring the user has is nil. However when taken literally, the phrase dictates that there is at least some level of caring and it is possible to care less. Some people have said that the phrase is used sarcastically and that people who use it know that the meaning is opposite to the literal interpretation. However it is far more likely that people who say, "I could care less," and mean the opposite are just stupid.

1. It is possible for me to be less interested in the subject than I am at this moment.
2. It is not possible for me to be less interested in the subject than I am at this moment.

When unsure as to which definition should be applied, it can help to judge the person's intelligence - morons usually mean #2.

A twisted, incorrect version of "I couldn't care less", invented by Americans (who else?) that clearly means the exact opposite of what is intended.
Idiots caught using it will offer up pitiful excuses such as "it's sarcasm, DUH!", or "it's historically acceptable, I'm not stupid, YOU'RE stupid!"
It is obvious to anyone who actually knows how to use sarcasm, or doesn't believe that stupidity is a recent invention, that these excuses represent nothing more than a transparent attempt to cover up the shame of talking like an idiot for most of their lives.

"I could care less" reminds the listener of your human compassion as an American. You are essentially telling him or her, "as you can tell from my clearly stated opinion, I do not care very much at all about this subject I am referring to. However, let us never forget that--if I wanted to--I could care even less." As we are sometimes prone to speak in hyperbole, e.g. "people who park crooked like that should be disembowelled and set on fire" (when a jail term would obviously suffice, given the spectre of rape), "I could care less" is an institutional phrase that compels us to remember our power must be tempered with mercy, which is expressed in the form of restrained indifference. Just as there is no real limit to justice/revenge beyond the constructs of liberal rhetoric, apathy is an abyss that must be skirted prudently. Without care, one could, without realizing it, become so indifferent to a subject that he or she neglects to even opine about it. On a large scale, this would threaten the core dynamic of what it is to be American: the unstoppable force of limitless guidance checked only by the immovable object of absolute unreceptivity to the guidance of others. "I could care less" is an enshrinement of self-discipline.

This means I dont care. If someone takes this phrase in the literal sense, then they will ask you "Do you mean I couldn't care less? However, the speaker of the phrase fully understands the meaning as, I dont care.

According to most people, a stupid phrase that means the opposite of what's intended.

According to a few people, a sarcastic way to say you really couldn't care less.

Probably what was originally intended is a phrase like "I could give a shit," just a little more subtle than "I don't give a shit." Or "I could give a damn." So they could care less, but they still don't care.

A sarcastic phrase meaning "as if I could care less about this."

Stupid people often complain about this phrase, insisting that "I couldn't care less" should be used instead. This is because they fail to realize that "I could care less" is an appropriate and historically popular idiom that dates back to the 1960s.

The very same morons will probably tell you, "But if you could care less, that means you actually cared about it at least a little bit in the first place." That is because the sarcasm is lost on them. Should you hear this, just smile and enjoy knowing that you are speaking to someone of low intelligence.

A way of checking on whether or not the person you're talking to is a fussy-prissy sort of person, or can actually pick up on sarcasm.

An ironic, sarcastic, irreverent take on the original hyperbole, "I couldn't care less." Contrary to some opinions, there is nothing incorrect about this version. It's just a sarcastic reference to the original that, over time, became so commonplace that people forgot it was sarcastic.