Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Conversation >

If you think that...

Page: (1)2

08:03 / 03.11.03

you've got another thing coming.

Or do you, in fact, have another THINK coming?

Office argument raging as I type. Opinions invited.

08:10 / 03.11.03

While it makes no sense i'd argue that thing is now the common usage...

08:26 / 03.11.03

I've always known it as "thing", but then I'm wrong!

thin(k/g)

08:49 / 03.11.03

I've always said think. I think.

08:55 / 03.11.03

I've always said think -and thought that other people just had colds when they said 'thing', because I can't actually imagine how "another thing coming" would manifest itself.

Mind you, at the point in an argument when I'm told I have another of either coming, I have this idea that my response is to pretend not to understand anyway...

Tryphena Absent

09:02 / 03.11.03

It's not regional is it?

09:46 / 03.11.03

I don't thing so.

This is interesting. I've always said 'thing', like 'You've got something (ie. some fresh information) coming to you'. I didn't realise it had this much more specific, sardonic meaning: 'If that's all you've been thinking, you're due another thought'. I much prefer it this way.

09:56 / 03.11.03

It doesn't appear to be regional - people in my office are all over and there doesn't seem to be much of a geographical split to it.

I've always said "another thing coming", ie "if you think you're going out dressed like that you've another thing coming."

The other thing coming was, presumably, a smack round the head and being sent upstairs to put on proper clothes.

10:23 / 03.11.03

I'm Shocked and Appalled that people think it's "thing". I've always said "think" as in "if you think I'm letting you make amphetamine suphate in my bath, you can think again, and find another location".

10:27 / 03.11.03

It's think. No question about it. As in 'If you think X is gonna happen, you've got another think coming'.
The 'thing' comes from people hearing it but not reading it, like 'I'd of thought the correct usage is "have thought" but people hearing "I'd've thought" write it as "I'd of thought"'
Tell the thingers in your office they're wrong, tell the thinkers they are right.

10:50 / 03.11.03

You're all wrong, it's "fink", as in "if you think that, I'm going to have to send another weasly informant round your gaff to give you the skinny."

I don't agree with Quantum about it being a simple mis-hearing on a par with "I'd of thought" - 'think' ain't proper English usage, and "think coming" is ugly and awkward to say. So any right finking person who hears it and who isn't aware that it is meant to be wrong is going to assume that they are listening to an idiot what can't talk right, and use 'thing' from then on, since it is grammatically correct and actually makes some sense (see Smoothly Weaving's and Sax's posts above*).

I'm prepared to accept the testament that Spidermonkey links to above - but should I? Can anyone point to any evidence to back up the assertion that it is "a deliberately ungrammatical joke"?

* Is that right, or should I have said "Smoothly Weaving and Saxs' posts..."?

10:57 / 03.11.03

I'd actually never heard it that way round before, my Mother always used to say...
" You've got a another thing coming if you think I'm buying you that thing"
So there was another "thing" to deal with, or "think" or um.........
*confused*

11:32 / 03.11.03

I don't agree with Quantum about it being a simple mis-hearing on a par with "I'd of thought" - 'think' ain't proper English usage, and "think coming" is ugly and awkward to say.

Whereas "I'd of thought" isn't the most horrific crime of grammar imaginable? It makes me want to bury my head in the ground.

Ex

11:55 / 03.11.03

At least two online sources insist on "think", one giving the following explanation:

..."think" is the older version. Eric Partridge, in _A Dictionary of Catch Phrases_, gives the phrase as "you have another guess coming", "US: since the 1920s, if not a decade or two earlier". Clearly "think" is closer to "guess" than "thing" is. The OED gives a citation with "think" from 1937, and no evidence for "thing".

But also:
Merriam-Webster Editorial Department writes: "When an informal poll was conducted here at Merriam-Webster, about 60% of our editors favored 'thing' over 'think,' a result that runs counter to our written evidence."

But (and I thing you'll find this decisive) Judas Priest says "Thing". And I for one won't be arguing the toss with the Priest.

11:57 / 03.11.03

Pingle>

D'oh, I think I misused "on a par" there, or just totally cocked up that sentence. I wasn't saying that "another think coming" was nastier than "I'd of thought" (which is, indeed, facking horrible). I was trying to say that Quantum was wrong to liken the two scenarios (ie mishearing a phrase to produce something that is grammatically incorrect, and mishearing something to produce something that is grammatically correct). I think that's what I was saying, anyway... gah! I should just pick words out of a hat, I couldn't do much worse than I am now.

12:22 / 03.11.03

I blame Rob Halford of Judas Priest.

As in most instances.

12:46 / 03.11.03

It's still 'Think' despite the technical error, which is deliberate- I get what Saveloy's saying though, it could be people doing what ze said and 'correcting' other people's apparent idiocy.
And Judas Priest are wrong, wrongedy wrong-wrong, they've got another think coming. Or maybe a fink, possibly Fink Angel from 200AD with his rat in a hat and 'pizen' spiky balls.
From now on if someone says 'another thing coming' I'm always going to think of the other thing being a flying spiked metal ball covered in poison- curse you Sax! You've got another fink coming!

14:11 / 03.11.03

"So any right finking person who hears it and who isn't aware that it is meant to be wrong is going to assume that they are listening to an idiot what can't talk right, and use 'thing' from then on, since it is grammatically correct and actually makes some sense (see Smoothly Weaving's and Sax's posts above*)."

No way. Anyone who hears it and turns "think" into "thing" just lacks a quick wit, or has an overdeveloped ear for grammar that eclipses their sense of humor. It's not an error. It's a joke, a funny turn of phrase, for fuck's sake.

14:14 / 03.11.03

Well, while I'm the first to admit that my wit is about as quick as shit on a shovel, no-one has ever accused me of having an over-developed ear for grammar.

14:30 / 03.11.03

ibis:
"No way. Anyone who hears it and turns "think" into "thing" just lacks a quick wit, or has an overdeveloped ear for grammar that eclipses their sense of humor. It's not an error. It's a joke, a funny turn of phrase, for fuck's sake."

No way. You'd have to have an underdeveloped sense of humour to consider it a joke, since it is a very poor one. People who hear it and turn 'think' into 'thing' are being charitable to the original user, by assuming that their sense of humour must be too well developed to use such a crap gag, and that it is merely their grammar that is at fault.

Rib-tickling jokes aside, 30s American sounds about right; it sounds like exactly the sort of thing Stan Laurel would say ("You're not as dumb as I look.")

BUT, how do we know it didn't start as 'thing', like, back in the old testament, then get changed to 'think' as a gag, and then the gag multiplied, and became legion, and the original correct version disappeared from memory? That sounds more plausible to me.

14:46 / 03.11.03

is this some sort of british thing, because i've never known it to be "think."
and i'm the sort who gets annoyed when people say "i could care less," instead of "i couldn't care less."
i agree w/everyone who said they believed it was "thing" as in, you've got some*thing* else coming to you.

15:00 / 03.11.03

Weird, I definitely pictured Laurel and/or Hardy saying it as well.

15:16 / 03.11.03

i'm the sort who gets annoyed when people say "i could care less," instead of "i couldn't care less."
People say that? Shoot 'em, that's worse than 'I ain't done nuffink'
It's THINK, not thing, thing makes no sense- I've been tolerant enough of your nonsense chaps and gals, you're in a large population of wrong people. Another thing coming? What thing? A DEADLY POISON TIPPED SPIKY METAL BALL THAT'S WHAT! If you think it's thing you've got another think coming, cease arguing about this point- it's like someone posting 'Which is right, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" or "A bird in the hand is worth a poo in the tush"?' one is right and one wrong, THINK is right and THING is wrong, wrongedy wrong-wrong. Ibis knows, despite the idea Sax has an overly grammatical ear (hah, not likely). 'If you think that you've got another thing coming' is NONSENSE, let's have no more of it.
I feel better now, if there's any more argument I'll find a picture of Fink Angel and his rat in a hat and post it atcha.

15:32 / 03.11.03

Praying Mantis>

Now I think about it, I've never heard anyone say 'think' either. I reckon this whole thing is the work of a small but vocal minority of anarchists, nihilists and malcontents, bent on spreading befuddlement and anxiety. Take a look at Quantum's latest post if you doubt me.

18:14 / 03.11.03

Ibis knows, despite the idea Sax has an overly grammatical ear (hah, not likely).

Sure is um good job I've not been in journalism for 14 years.

21:39 / 03.11.03

It's think.

If you think, then another think comes.

Think.

04:03 / 04.11.03

It's think.

As far as I know, it is an American phrase, not British; I grew up with it in the Midwest.

Thing is just so wrong...

09:53 / 04.11.03

Sax, everyone knows you have an overly grammatical brain tongue and fingers, but ear? Journalists' ears are specially trained to hear truth and scandal over grammar, I thought

Iszabelle, I think it's transatlantic, I've heard it here in the UK my whole life.
If you think I'm a befuddled anarchic malcontent spreading anxiety you've got another think coming...

13:44 / 04.11.03

thingthingthing, obviously.

'a think'? you really reckon that sounds right? well, it sounds like an american expression to me and you're welcome to it

i hate when - i hate it when

14:13 / 04.11.03

Christ Alive!, this is not a matter of opinion.

think noun informal an act of thinking *have another think coming informal used to suggest that somebody is mistaken.
(from the new Penguin dictionary.)

from HL Mencken's "The American Language," 1921:
The rapidity with which words move through the parts of speech must be observed by every student of American. The case of bum I have already cited: it is noun, adjective, verb and adverb. The adjective lonesome, in “all by her lonesome,” becomes a sort of pronoun. The verb to think, in “he had another think coming,” becomes a noun.

That's as far back as I can trace it anyway.

14:21 / 04.11.03

of course it's a matter of opinion linguafascist. language itself is a verb or process, not a noun. definitions and rules instantaneously irrelevantise themselves.

i haven't called anyone a fascist since i was a teen! what fun

and irrelevantise is definitely a word before you start

although i will concede 'a think' can happen like 'i'll sit down for a minute and have a think' my real reason for objection is having the two hard 'cuh' sounds next to each other. sloppy

14:22 / 04.11.03

It seems to me the phrase was originally "you've got another thing coming" before a clever punster came up with "you've got another think coming." "If that's what you're thinking you've got another think coming" is a deliberate pun on the original "...you've got another thing coming." That's why it's funny to some people. However, people heard this pun and liked the novelty of it, so begun saying "...think coming" and eventually this pun became the norm amongst some social and regional groups.

Now the tables have turned and "you've got another thing coming" has become the clever pun. All it needs is the set-up for it to become a great punchline.

Meanwhile, those of you who say "you've got another think coming" are boring old farts who don't recognize the brilliantly ironic pun of "you've got another thing coming."

Excuse me now while I catch my breath...

14:50 / 04.11.03

Can anyone get the phrase to make sense at all, whichever word is used? I mean, it's a truly bizarre way of putting something:

"If you are in posession of X, then Y is about to be delivered to you." ?!

How can something already be dispatched if the thing that triggers that dispatch is in doubt?

I tell you, whatever the word is - 'think' or 'thing' - whoever made this phrase up was a bloody idiot and I think we should all cease using it forthwith.

ONLY NICE THINGS

19:57 / 04.11.03

Well, easy enough with think, less so with thing. Thinking being generally noumenal and thinging phenomenal, that's got problems from the start. Whereas, if you assume that "think" is an informal nounal usage for "act of thinking", it's pretty simple.

If at the moment you think x, then, since events will conspire to demonstrate the falsity of x, you will have to think y instead once the inadequacy of proposition x has been revealed.

This, if you think that, you will have to change what you think. Therefore another think will be coming.

20:03 / 04.11.03

Yes.

If you think thing is the right word, then you've got another think coming.

Page: (1)2