to give a rat
- idiom
- Slang
- The overwhelming majority of people just don't give a rat's ass about FISA or whether the government is monitoring their emails.
- give a rat's ass
- think I give a rat's
- really give a rat's
You know, it's like who fucking gives a rat's ass?
- You know, it's like who fucking gives a rat's ass?
Examples
-
So, the information spreads to people who may not give a rat's ass about McCarthy, but they fall for the propaganda.
Blog text (13) -
I don't give a rat's ass what the papers say tomorrow, but I want to look good tonight.
-
Who really gives a rat's ass about a restaurant 25 years ago?
Blog text (13) -
I really don't believe they give a rat's ass about the country or who gets hurt.
Blog text (30) -
Why should I care about your feelings when you don't give a rat's ass about my safety?
Blog text (19) -
Granted, no one else gives a rat's ass, but I don't care what they think!
Blog text (11) -
Now I realize that looneytarians don't give a rat's ass about the poor, but normal people do.
Blog text (11) -
The Republicans don't give a rat's ass about the little guy, so stop being fooled and voting against your interest.
Blog text (13) -
The Oligarchy doesn't give a rat's ass what the Akins of this tribe think or believe.
Blog text (19) -
I don't give a rat about what they think of my decision.
Synonyms
To feel that someone or something matters to you
To not care at all about someone or something
To not care at all about something
To not care at all about something
To not care at all about something
To say in rude language that someone does not care at all
To feel no interest or worry at all about something
To not care at all about something, usually in negative sentences
To not care at all about something, used only in negative sentences
Not care at all about something
To feel no interest or concern about something
Antonyms
How Concerned
- Slang
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
give + a + rat
The literal meanings of 'give' + 'a' + 'rat' (to hand over a rodent) do not yield the sense 'to care'—this is an informal idiom (likely a shortened form of 'don't give a rat's ass') whose meaning is culturally specific and unpredictable from its parts. A B1 learner who knows the individual words would not reliably infer 'not to care' without prior exposure.
Etymology
Give a rat comes from the rude phrase give a rat's ass. One popular story says people imagined offering a dirty rat's bottom as something worthless to show they did not care, so today give a rat means 'to care at all'.