Unless I'm mistaken, in most of the English speaking world, the phrase "I don't care to X" indicates that the speaker prefers not to do the particular activity. However, as I was reminded during a visit recently, in some parts of the southern US, it actually has another meaning that's roughly opposite. That is, that the speaker doesn't mind doing the activity. For example:
I don't care to get dirty.
would normally mean that the speaker doesn't like getting dirty, and would presumably try to avoid it. However, it was clear from context that the speaker meant that unlike others with whom she was comparing herself, she would be willing to participate in an activity that would get her quite dirty.
Does anyone have any information on the history of this particular meaning? Did both meanings come into existence simultaneously and one became non-standard or did one enter later? Are there other areas/dialects that use the alternate meaning? Any other information you happen to have would be appreciated.
Best Answer
I think it's just a corruption of "I don't care about getting dirty", similar to how "I could care less" is often said when the user obviously means "I couldn't care less."