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

[JAM2018]

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.

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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

This. Would think someone had got it wrong if they said 'another think coming '. Right up there with Pacific instead of specific and would of instead of would have.

But loads of people have explained, you can find links, it’s objectively correct.

why would you say “yeah but I’d rather carry on being wrong”?

If you think "think" is wrong, you've got another think coming or not, apparently

But you'd be wrong.

Pacific, would of, thing - all wrong

Specific, would have, think - all right

I guess you can mangle the language as much as you want. But don't get offended when people misunderstand you. And please bear in mind that you are making understanding difficult for people whose first language isn't English, or who don't hear well, or have some other reason to struggle with non-standard expressions. And I don't think helps to call outright mistakes 'dialect'.

It seems bizarre to me to claim that people who prefer correct usage, which is less likely to lead to misunderstandings, are 'pedantic'. Even more bizarre to use 'pedantic' as an insult.

I don't understand why people would continue to use thing after it's been explained why it's incorrect.

You wouldn't continue to use pacific or would/should/could of so why would you use thing?

@AngelinaFibres

YABU.
It's "think". Nothing else will do. Ever.

As @HannibalHeyes says, the move from "think" to "thing" came about in the 19th century, not that long after "think" first entered general usage, and for the reasons stated. /k/ and /g/ are articulated in exactly the same place in the mouth (try mouthing both in front of a mirror) and as both are in final position in the word, acoustically are weaker sounds, so often misheard.
That's why the shift occurred. A shift that has (according to Corpus linguistics) more people using "thing" than "think" despite the latter still nominally being the only "correct" one.
David Crystal and the Merriam Webster dictionary are happy to accept both these days and historical linguists are monitoring the definite shift towards both being considered perfectly OK.
As an English teacher, would I correct "thing"? Yep.
As a linguist, do I think "thing" is "wrong"? Nope.

To the poster who asked if we should accept "should of" as correct - of course not. That's a mistake made through transcribing what's been heard into writing. It may make the shift that thing/think are making. Stranger things have happened to language. But I very much doubt it. The first R from February will go though. As will the first D in Wednesday.

Same.

I have never heard think before this thread

Bless.

I keep thinking about the film The Thing - is that the thing you think is coming?

Or should I say is that the thing you thing is coming?

Think.

Presumably someone is counting up the responses so we can get a definitive answer?

It is “think” though…..

Yes definitely.
And if you think (thing?) I'm the thicko you've got another THINK coming!

Corpus linguistics is the study of usage and as I said above, already has lots of data on this, showing that "thing" now has the edge over "think".

It's another think coming. Meaning you have to think again because what you think is happening isn't happening. Thing doesn't make any sense

It doesn’t matter how many numpties on this thread say it’s thing… thing will never be correct.

FuzzyPuffling

And if you think (thing?) I'm the thicko you've got another THINK coming!

"I'm the thingo," surely?

Interesting linguistics view. You you feel that as incorrect use overtakes correct use, that means the incorrect use can be accepted as correct. Does that hold for other errors that are similar (where someone hears a word wrongly), like pacific/specific or should of?

id say those are definitively incorrect so the fact more people are wrong ths right shouldn’t mean we say”ok then”. Think is the same.

Me too

It’s another think coming, that contradicts the first thought that someone is objecting to.

”If you think voting Tory will make everyone wealthy & Sunak will start shitting unicorns & rainbows as thanks, you’ve got another think coming.”

Thing is just bizarre.

But when people use the ‘thing’ version (at least for me) they mean a person may think one thing is going to happen but in reality something very different is going to happen to them - they have another thing coming? How is this wrong? Maybe it’s not the original phrase but there are a lot of Team Thing on this thread. ‘Think coming’ sounds a bit jarring to me - shouldn’t it be ‘thought coming’ or ‘you need to think again’. In any case I’m not a pedant and would hopefully understand what people mean using either version

Its 'think'.

Because as PP said. The phrase should be:
"If you THINK you're going out wearing that skirt, you've got another THINK coming ".

Basically saying THINK AGAIN.

What THING would be relevant in this context?

I’m sure it’s been explained, it’s a joke a play on words.

oh you think that do you?
well, you’ve got another “think” coming I’m afraid.

I have no idea what you’re on about with your other thing coming explanation there btw.

I never knew it was supposed to be think until recently, is it more prevalent now?

If it was think surely it would make more sense to say
'You need to think again?'
Think is a verb not a noun.
Another think spent not make sense at all.