By Chinua Asuzu
Can’t agree less means you don’t agree at all—you’ve reached the nadir of disagreement.
As a phrase, can’t agree less is unidiomatic, but if deployed consciously with malice aforethought, it can be rhetorically effective. It means “I disagree so much that I couldn’t disagree anymore even if I tried” or “I completely disagree” or “I perfectly disagree.”
The phrase can’t agree less expresses superlative disagreement.
To express superlative agreement, the correct idiomatic expression is can’t agree more, which means “I completely agree,” “I perfectly agree,” or “I agree so much that I’ve run out of agreement room.”
Assure_, _ensure_, _insure (verbs)
(A transitive verb is one that’s followed by a direct object. A transitive verb needs its object to make sense. An intransitive verb needs no object to make sense, and is not followed by any.)
Assure is a transitive verb. It takes an object.
To assure someone is to promise them (something) or convince them of (something) or set their mind at rest: The accountant assured us that the funds would be remitted before midday.
As a transitive verb, assure takes a personal object: The managing partner assured the associates that they would attend the workshop.
Ensure is an intransitive verb. To ensure is to make certain that things proceed (as planned) or occur or that events take place: The accountant ensured that the funds were remitted before midday.
As for insure, which has both transitive and intransitive senses, it should be restricted to insurance and similar financial contexts involving indemnification.
Intransitively, you insure against loss or damage.
Transitively, you insure your property or goods.
So confine insure to the senses “guarantee against loss,” “indemnify,” or “provide insurance.”
Childish versus Childlike
When Jesus Christ said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 18:3, Holy Bible (KJV), he was urging his followers to become childlike, not childish.
Childish, a negative adjective, connotes immaturity, peevishness, puerility, and silliness.
Childlike, a positive adjective, connotes innocence, simplicity, truthfulness, and joie de vivre.
