Why has "think" replaced "for example"

[StealthPolarBear]

I work in medicine, think nurse or doctor

[NumberEightyOne]

I have never heard that used, but I imagine it is creeping in. I don't like it. Good luck in your quest to nip it in the bud!

[MongerTruffle]

I've only ever heard that on Mumsnet.

[SparklyScourer]

Every now and again it’s not too bad but it is certainly becoming a thing on here and I would hate it if used in real life, would make me cringe!

[StealthPolarBear]

Yes me too truffle only on here. It seems sort of storytelling

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I'm not sure that in your example that 'for example nurse or doctor' quite fits either - 'imagine I am a nurse or doctor' would be more pleasing but in the twitter generation brevity has replaced accuracy.

[StealthPolarBear]

I work in medicine, eg a nurse or a doctor seems OK to me
Maybe it's just personal preference

[crazymissdaisy]

Similarly I've only ever read online , never heard out loud, " fast forward " used as an all purpose connective between backstory and current situation.

[PickleFish]

It bugs me too, because it should be used to show an example that isn't true, but similar to the correct example. And instead, people use it to give the exact example. I always think they might as well just tell us, then!

I work in health care (think physio, speech therapist, etc) - when the person is really an occupational therapist but wants to keep things vague, is OK. But other contexts just seems odd.

[IfyouseeRitaMoreno]

I was thinking this the other day.

I too think it’s part of a story-telling narrative, a bit like starting with “so” is about setting the scene for the tale that follows.

It’s consciously putting a particular image in the listener’s mind. I can imagine a group of sitcom-writers using it in a brainstorm to quickly conjure up an image in everyone’s heads, a shortcut for “so for example, think of..”.

Here’s my imaginary example: “OK, so we need to establish Phoebe as the hippy one, think flowy dresses. Rachel’s the fashionista, think short skirts and funky haircut. Chandler’s the big dull dud, think boring brown sweater vests.”

So by saying “think” instead of “so for example she/he might wear” in these cases you’ve saved around 21 syllables!

Have I over answered?

[YokoReturns]

Oooh I’ve never used ‘think’, it didn’t even cross my mind!

I must’ve been too busy slapping everyone who says ‘excited for the weekend!’ Or ‘excited to see my ladies’

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Actually 'similar to' would work even better, because you are implying parity but not matching the example.

[StealthPolarBear]

Rita it does but I think you've emphasised my point that it's not for every day use, think chatting to your boss on the way to a meeting

[IfyouseeRitaMoreno]

Stealth, indeed it’s not yet for everyday use but as we know, words jump ship all the time and, if they fill a rhetorical gap, they stick, think “literally” or “like”.