Yesterday I discussed the expression “I couldn’t care less,” and tried to explain the popular mutation “I could care less.” It’s a  controversial issue that gets purists a bit fired up. The truth is, even the original and more literal version is well-worn. Why not avoid the controversy by ditching the expression altogether?

Here are a few suggestions for replacement phrases:

“Did you  hear that Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are having problems in their relationship?”

Ways to respond without saying “I couldn’t care less”:

• I could not possibly care less about about that.
• I would be shocked if anyone in the world cares less about that than I do.
• Wait, let me see if I care about that….Nope.
• That registers a zero on my caring scale.
• That’s at the top of my list of things I do not care about.
• That information did not register on my caring meter.
• Sorry, I have used up all my caring on Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift’s relationship.
• It’s amazing how little I care about that.
• Yeah, that’s something I don’t care about. At all.
• Don’t. Care.