Has DH got another think coming or have I got another thing coming???

Cognitive dissonance the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs.

I believe I am right. I know I am wrong.

Cue: reams of retrospective justification.

I don't think it's a crap phrase at all. I think it's a marvellous phrase and clearly makes far more sense than 'thing'.

I'm with you Bugrit!

I'll accept that "think" is "right" in the sense that it was the original phrase, according to various sources (though I'm still a bit at our ancestors for thinking up such a crap phrase!) However in linguistics "right" is a moveable feast and often things do change according to mishearings and what makes the most sense, and I think "thing" makes the most sense which is why loads of people clearly use it.

Also what loads of people don't seem to get is that both can be "right", if both are widely used and accepted. It's like some people say "I couldn't care less" and others, especially in the US, say "I could care less" to mean the same thing. "I could care less" makes no sense to me at all, however it's in common use and means what it means.

The rest of us are on tenterhooks, hoping to see a pacific example of correct useage

You know 'tenter' is correct though?

'Where I live in the North East people routinely say 'register' as 'red chester'. Also 'mortified' for angry, as in 'When DD stayed out late the other night I was mortified'. Also 'paletic' for drunk and 'brufen' for ibuprofen. I know some of these are dialectic'

Not sure what all these malapropisms have to do with philosophical debate between two opposing views trying to establish the truth through reasoned argument

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

All the lovely pedants on this thread need to see the Eggcorn Database. It collects words or phrases that are repeated wrong but still sound plausible, like 'to all intensive purposes'.

You know, the more I think about the phrase in the context of how we usually use 'think' as a noun, the less it makes sense to say 'another think coming'. Since a 'think' is usually just a session of mulling things over, I could have another think and come to the exact same conclusion, whereas the whole point of the phrase is that something else is going to happen.

People saying that the sentence contains no 'thing'; well of course it does. The thing that you're expecting to happen is a thing. Just because you're not using the word 'thing' doesn't mean it's not a thng.

It makes no sense, people! I mean I know you're right and everything, but you're not right for the reasons that you say you are; 'thing' may be wrong, but it makes much more sense, and for some reason I am really fucking invested in having someone acknowledge this.

Come on, it's not too much to ask is it? I am saying that you're right, after all?

Here's a legitimate use of "baited breath", for comic effect. (Geoffrey Taylor: Cruel, Clever Cat. Written in 1933 according to website I just googled).

Sally, having swallowed cheese
Directs down holes the scented breeze
Enticing thus with baited breath
Nice mice to an untimely death.

Sorry Bugrit, should have read through!

(I had this post all ready to cut-and-paste to show that I know it's not "baited").

Yes, I was just being mischievous (not mischievious), as I know it's "bated" as in the sense of "abated", meaning "lowered" / "depressed", in the sense that you are barely breathing as you wait in anticipation. Apparently, "baited breath" made it past a proof-reader into one of the Harry Potter books.

YY. 'Baited breath' sounds like you have a mouthful of maggots

Rack my brain.
Wrack and ruin.

I already did, Maid. see my third post. Feeling a bit silly now.

Although in fairness I can't think of any other situations where it's used to refer to a single thought on its own, which is where I think my knee jerk 'it's not a noun!' Response came from.

Bated breath You did that on purpose!

I suppose also re mortified, most things which make you embarrassed would also make you angry if directed at another person. "I peed my pants and I was so mortified" is obviously not anger. But "He's seven years old and had a giant tantrum, I was mortified!" could be anger caused by the embarrassment caused by the bad behaviour of another.

Bugrit Why don't you go away and have a think about when 'think' is used as a noun....

OK - let's see what others say. I wait with baited breath.

It seems "rack" should be the right answer and has etymology on its side, but "wrack" has been around a long time, and you can probably get away with it. Well, that's going by this link which chimes with what I've read elsewhere: www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/10/wracking-your-brain-vs-racking-your-brain/

True, Norah!

Maybe the mortified thing started because people heard somebody using it about their partner/child's embarrassing but also bad behaviour and assumed that instead of embarrassed, they meant they were angry. And then started using it that way themselves. "He turned up with another woman, I was mortified!" could go either way.

Paletic sounds like a mispronunciation of paralytic, ie, unable to walk. Brufen is an old name for ibuprofen.

I think it's wrack your brains. Although, apparently, wrack is just an alternate spelling of the verb to rack, ie, stretch on a rack. So both are technically correct because they are the same word. I never knew that before! I had always assumed that it meant something along the lines of search thoroughly, not stretch!

It's think! Amazed so many saying its 'thing'. Another THINK coming people!

I would rack them too but am completely prepared to be wrong.

Us quietly = is quite.

clam My comment re: ignorance was in support of you and aimed at potbelly

People think it means rude and uncouth, but its proper meaning us quietly simply uninformed.

I think that spitting feathers was originally thirsty but is more recently used as anger based on nothing but my own experience

Ooh tough one Dad. I think I would rack them. Now off to google.

100% think!

Here's another:

Do you "rack your brains" or "wrack your brains"?