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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"another think coming" or "another thing coming" - AIBU to suggest we accept both?

205 replies

JAM2018 · 24/12/2022 11:31

Christmas is a time for chestnuts and I've been musing on this old one...

"If you're planning to go to the party wearing that, you've got another..."

...think coming

OR

...thing coming

?

The facts appear to be that "think" was in the original phrase, but - rightly or wrongly - "thing" is well-established as an alternative:

"Another think coming" - examples have been found from before 1900: itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004972.html

"Another thing coming" - example exists from 1919: itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004971.html

As that second link (written by an academic linguist) mentions, the OED sees "thing" as a misapprehension of "think", but both seem popular.

====

Arguments I've heard on either side plus my response:

"another think coming" doesn't make sense / think is a verb --> 'think' can be a noun, you could be saying "if you think that you are going out dressed like that, then what is coming to you is some time where you will need to sit down and have another think (until you change your mind)", "Have a good think about this" - 'think' is a noun.

"think coming" isn't easy to say, the 'k' and 'c' clash --> yes, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid phrase, but it probably does explain the mishearing or preference for "thing coming"

"another thing coming" doesn't make sense - what "thing"? if it's "another", what's the first "thing" --> lots of idiomatic phrases are hard to make sense of when you try to analyse them (I thought of "sick as a parrot" off the top of my head - but parrots aren't sick? oh, and actually, what on earth is the sense of "off the top of my head"?). There's enough sense for people to use it: "if this is the thing that you are planning to do, then you are mistaken, and you will soon discover that there is another (different) thing that you will be doing [ thing that will be happening to you]".

But everyone I know says "think" / everyone I know says "thing" / it's what I've always said --> are you sure that's what everyone is saying because it's hard to distinguish in spoken English? For most of my life, I just naturally thought it was "thing", and now I'm convinced the 'correct' version is "think", but I'm not too fussed about "thing" as it is so common.

====

I was amused when years ago, David Cameron used it in a speech, and two separate articles in The Telegraph quoted him, one writing "thing" and one "think" (unfortunately, I've searched and can no longer find the articles).

So, you can go on fighting for your choice and insist that logic is on your side. Personally, I just appreciate the way both have been accepted and I enjoy it when people discover the other version for the first time. AIBU?

YABU = you need to pick a side

YANBU = agree, let both thrive

OP posts:
Original poster
JAM2018 · 24/12/2022 13:05

@SpicyFoodRocks - you are aware that dialects can be written down as well as spoken? it doesn't suddenly become wrong in writing, just because it's not the formal / SE England grammar you would use in, say, a national newspaper.

OP posts:
SpicyFoodRocks · 24/12/2022 13:11

JAM2018 · 24/12/2022 13:05

@SpicyFoodRocks - you are aware that dialects can be written down as well as spoken? it doesn't suddenly become wrong in writing, just because it's not the formal / SE England grammar you would use in, say, a national newspaper.

Yes. However, I cannot help but feel irritated when reading dialect variations. I have accepted I am pedantic and only express my views on threads like these.

passmethedettol · 24/12/2022 13:20

Thriwit · 24/12/2022 12:59

I honestly don’t recall ever hearing “think”. I’ve always known it as “…another thing coming”, as in “you may have thought that would happen, but actually something else will happen instead”. I suppose that’s a slightly different meaning from “you’ll have to think again” though.

This!! I have always known it as ‘thing’ as in you may think something is going to happen, but in reality you have another thing coming (ie something else is going to happen). I have never heard the ‘think’ version before - it doesn’t make sense to me but each to their own Grin

FloydPepper · 24/12/2022 13:26

what we’re seeing in this thread (and all the other think/thing threads previously) is that there is a definitive correct answer (think) but people who are wrong do not like to be told they are wrong.

it should be a moment for “oh, yes, I was wrong and now I understand”, not for either disputing the truth, or saying it doesn’t matter.

ThePoshUns · 24/12/2022 13:27

Definitely team thing
Have never heard anyone use think in this context

BCBird · 24/12/2022 13:28

Must be 'another thing coming' no debate 😂

FloydPepper · 24/12/2022 13:28

There are no teams
its not an opinion
theres a right and a wrong answer here.

MarshaBradyo · 24/12/2022 13:29

Thing

Not heard think until seeing it on mn

FloydPepper · 24/12/2022 13:31

I’m reminded of this…

"another think coming" or "another thing coming" - AIBU to suggest we accept both?
Bluevelvetsofa · 24/12/2022 13:38

It means think again.
You wouldn’t say thing again.

Team think

Coxspurplepippin · 24/12/2022 13:48

'If you think you're going out dressed like that, you've got another think coming' said my Mum to teenaged me pretty much every weekend.

Redglitter · 24/12/2022 13:51

Definitely think. Thing just doesn't make sense

tobee · 24/12/2022 13:52

Thing.

I've never heard anyone say think until recently and those that do tend to be pedantic types.

DramaAlpaca · 24/12/2022 14:01

Of course it's think, as in think again.

Thing in this context makes no sense whatsoever.

Username6194 · 24/12/2022 14:01

Think.

HannibalHeyes · 24/12/2022 14:02

To all those saying "I've only ever heard 'thing'" - The key word here is "heard".

Because the K and the C tend to get conflated, and you almost certainly are listening deeply (most people rarely do), you heard it once as "thing" and therefore assume that every time you hear it again, the person is saying "thing". This is almost certainly false, but you've never bothered to question it, because it's not been anything important.

Now you know better though.

I have to admit that when I was young, I always heard it as "should of", "would of" etc., so said that myself. When I was eventually pulled up on it I felt rather embarrassed (as you do), but I made sure I used it correctly in the future.

AllOfThemWitches · 24/12/2022 14:05

What the hell? I've never heard 'another thing coming.' It makes no sense at all and is as stupid as 'would of.'

topcat2014 · 24/12/2022 14:08

I judge people that don't have a decent grasp of language. I'm aware that makes me a bit of a twat.

AlphaAlpha · 24/12/2022 14:11

"If you think you're going out dressed like that, you've got another think coming"

It's clearly Think.

The above sentence may have been uttered many times when I were a teen.....

pigsDOfly · 24/12/2022 14:13

Of course it's think, as in you'll have another 'think' ie another 'thought' coming.

Thing make absolutely no sense.

What is this 'thing' that is supposed to be coming?

FloydPepper · 24/12/2022 14:15

HannibalHeyes · 24/12/2022 14:02

To all those saying "I've only ever heard 'thing'" - The key word here is "heard".

Because the K and the C tend to get conflated, and you almost certainly are listening deeply (most people rarely do), you heard it once as "thing" and therefore assume that every time you hear it again, the person is saying "thing". This is almost certainly false, but you've never bothered to question it, because it's not been anything important.

Now you know better though.

I have to admit that when I was young, I always heard it as "should of", "would of" etc., so said that myself. When I was eventually pulled up on it I felt rather embarrassed (as you do), but I made sure I used it correctly in the future.

This is correct
it’d be lovely if some of the “thing” people would come back and say “oh I get it now, I understand why I thought it was thing but I now know”

Quitelikeacatslife · 24/12/2022 14:19

I've never heard anyone use think , always thing . Sort of a mild threat
Not going to start now using think

DappledThings · 24/12/2022 14:22

Quitelikeacatslife · 24/12/2022 14:19

I've never heard anyone use think , always thing . Sort of a mild threat
Not going to start now using think

Even though it's been shown above that you are wrong?

There are lots of things people say incorrectly but the think/thing one seems to invite more doubling-down on the inaccuracy than other errors.

Ironically the thing adherents are those who actually do need to have another think about it. Not a thing.

Alconleigh · 24/12/2022 14:23

Thing makes no sense at all. As PP have said, it's from variants of "if you think that, you've got another think coming".

I am bemused by people punchily defending something that's obviously wrong. I know they do though as this isn't the first thread on here about it.

Thriwit · 24/12/2022 14:25

I now understand that some people’s language has stuck with an old phrase, whereas other people’s language has undergone evolution and they are saying a different phrase. It would be interesting to see whether it’s separated by region, age, class, education etc.

I believe both make a sort of sense (although ‘think’ less so, to me). I think they’re both saying slightly different things, but the overall meaning is similar enough.