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What does it mean when a British person says "I can't be asked"?

Last Updated: 18.06.2025 01:24

What does it mean when a British person says "I can't be asked"?

There are very few circumstances in which somebody would say “I can’t be asked”. Probably you misheard “I can’t be arsed”, which means you can’t be bothered to do something.

It may be related to the expression “Get your arse in gear”, which literally means “Start walking” (that is, set your buttocks in motion) but metaphorically means “Begin taking action”. If you “can’t be arsed” you’re refusing to take action.

On the other hand we also say “I can’t be buggered” to mean “I can’t be bothered”, which seems to have no logic to it other than that it’s an arse-related word that sound bit like “bothered”. With the added complication that although the slang meaning of “bugger” is “have anal intercourse”, its *literal* meaning is “a Bulgarian”.

My son died seven months ago at the age of 24 how do I know if he’s in heaven and can he see me and hear me and why have I not gotten any signs yet from him or Mom just not seeing the signs how do I know if he’s OK how do I know if he’s happy?