Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (87 page)

(I) could be better
.
Go to (Things) could be better.

(I) could be worse
.
Go to (Things) could be worse.

I could eat
.
I am hungry enough to eat a meal.
H
ANNA
: There's a pizza place. Want to get one? D
ON
: I could eat
.
A
NDREW
: It's past dinnertime. Are you hungry? I
SABEL
: I could eat.

I could eat a cow
!
Go to (I'm so hungry) I could eat a horse!

I could eat a horse
!
Go to (I'm so hungry) I could eat a horse!

I could use a
something. I would like to have something, usually food or drink. (Also in other persons.)
Man, I'm hot. I could use a cold beer
.
A: There's a man outside who looks very hungry and is offering to chop us some wood. B: I bet he could use a sandwich or two. Too bad we don't have any wood to chop.

(I) couldn't ask for more
.
Everything is fine, and there is no more that I could want.
B
ILL
: Are you happy? S
UE
: Oh, Bill. I couldn't ask for more
.
W
AITER
: Is everything all right? B
ILL
: Oh, yes, indeed. Couldn't ask for more.

I couldn't ask you to do that
.
That is a very kind offer, but I would not ask you to do it. (This is not a refusal of the offer.)
S
ALLY
: Look, if you want, I'll drive you to the airport. M
ARY
: Oh, Sally. I couldn't ask you to do that
.
B
ILL
: I'll lend you enough money to get you through the week. S
ALLY
: I couldn't ask you to do that.

(I) couldn't be better
.
I am fine.
J
OHN
: How are you? J
ANE
: Couldn't be better
.
B
ILL
: I hope you're completely well now. M
ARY
: I couldn't be better.

(I) could(n't) care less
.
It doesn't matter to me. (The
less
bears the heaviest stress in both versions. Both versions are idiomatic. Despite the apparent contradiction, either reading of this—both the affirmative and negative—usually have the same meaning. The exception would be in a sentence where the
could
bears the heaviest stress:
I
could
care less, [but I don't]
.)
T
OM
: It's raining in! The carpet will get wet! M
ARY
: I couldn't care less
.
B
ILL
: I'm going to go in there and tell him off! J
OHN
: I could care less.