The title is pretty self-explanatory, but let me give some detail.
I'm a native English speaker from the USA. I know exactly what that statement means and how to use it. I heard my Pastor use it recently in a sermon, and it got me thinking how one would respond to the charge:
Person 1: "That happened, and you don't give a rip!"
Person 2: "Yes, I do!"
Ok, so that makes sense. But without the initial statement to which you can respond, how would you indicate the opposite of:
"I don't give a rip?"
Obviously, there's the straightforward:
"I do care"
But can one say this?
"I give a rip!"
I don't think I've ever heard that except as a direct response to not giving a rip.
Which brings me back to my question:
In this context, what's a rip and how does one give it, anyway?