I Care Two Hoots: Meaning, Origin & Usage

Meaning

“I care two hoots” is a British colloquialism meaning “I don’t care at all” or “It matters not a whit to me.” Equivalent to the American “I don’t give a damn.”

Origin

Likely 19th-century. “Hoot” was slang for a small amount or a trivial thing (possibly from the call of an owl—something insubstantial). “Two hoots” intensifies the negligible value. The phrase may also echo “not worth a hoot.”

Usage Notes

• Informal, often humorous or dismissive.
• Can convey contempt: “I care two hoots what the critics think.”
• Not appropriate in formal, professional, or polite company.
• Variants: “don’t give two hoots,” “not two hoots.”

Cultural Context

Primarily UK/Commonwealth. In the US, “hoot” alone can mean a laugh (“had a hoot”) or a small amount (“don’t give a hoot”), but the “two hoots” construction is distinctly British.