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

[NotMyRealName2015]

I’ll clarify

DH and I were having a light hearted debate about who was going to sort the garden out this afternoon (there are weeds growing out of weeds, and we have guests coming this week)
DH said that if I thought he was doing it today ‘I had another thing coming’.

I pointed out the phrase was ‘another think coming’ and that he should now go and do the garden as punishment for his failure.
However, he is insisting I am wrong and that ‘thing’ is the right word. I say that doesn’t even make sense! What ‘thing’ is coming?? He just says ‘English doesn’t always make sense.’ (Not technically his first language but he has a British parent so has always been bilingual and is completely fluent)

MN jury needed. Who is correct??
Loser will obviously be doing the garden. Winner will sit down with coffee and biscuits, looking smug and saying 'you've missed a bit.'

ha I put this as my pet peeve on the 'chester draws' thread a few days ago! Of course it's think! you've had the initial thought, so the second thought is 'another think.' Whereas there's been no initial 'thing' to warrant a second 'thing.'

I think this was possibly at least partly responsible for "thing" in this context. Bloody brummies!

FunkyPeacock: "I'm happy to be re educated that the phrase should actually be think but am slightly baffled by the unpleasant turn this thread has taken!"

Ah yes, but you have happily admitted you were wrong. It's people who carry on insisting they're right even when it's been explained to them half a dozen times who annoy me.

It's think. It's always been think.

It most definitely is not 'thing'. Just because lots of people think something to be true doesn't mean it is.

After all, lots of people say 'haitch', write 'definately' and other such abominations.

This has shaken my belief in the world!! I can't believe it's think! Me and everyone else I've ever known say thing!

Thing + coming means it can be very difficult to work out which* noun people are using. I suspect if you believe it's 'think', you hear 'think' and if you believe it's 'thing', you hear 'thing'.

Hence, lots of people saying they never hear one version.

*Another annoyance: what .v. which

It is think. You had the first thought/think, and now you have a second one coming.

There is no first thing in the sentence, so there cannot be a second one.

QED

Missed the "Chester draws" thread. Shame. I could have related the dull, according to dh occasion when I wrote to Homebase, who had actually sanctioned that offending term on their boxes.

yes, Maidofstars, but have they never seen the phrase written down??? Fair enough on a forum like this 'thing'-ers could smugly think 'Oh look they've written that incorrectly,' but if they ever saw it in a book or magazine surely they must acknowledge that at least two fairly literate people would have been involved in a) writing it and b) checking/editing it, at least enough to raise suspicion and think 'hang on, I'd better check that....'

Also, to thing justifiers explaining the 'thing' as being a punch or equivalent...it still doesn't make sense, because you haven't had one punch yet! so you can't have another one!

• and stop wondering if it's age-related. I'm young-ish (mid twenties) and I know it's think!

clam I would be telling that story to anyone who's listen. Your DH is wrong.

Agree with 'think' - and I can't believe the number of people who said 'thing'! That doesn't even make sense!

It's definitely think
Thing just doesn't make sense

Oh dh acknowledged I was right. He just thought I was taking it too far to actually write a complaint. OK, and whinge on about it to anyone who would listen

It's think think think

Clam I'm gobsmacked by Homebase!

They sent me back a generic response apologising for the "inconvenience" and that they would try harder next time.

And there was a spelling mistake on the complaints website too. (You're/your)

Oops, sorry, no, it was apologies for the "disappointment" I suffered.

Not read the whole thread but is it a north/south thing??

I say thing - and I'm VERY northern

Oh. I am a total spelling/grammar/vocab snob and I thought it was 'thing'!

I live in the north and everyone I know says 'think' (I think; see previous posts about confirmation bias).

Because, you know, we can speak English properly

Northern here too and always said "thing".
I will now be saying "think" and in fact, I know some teens who will think they have gone mad when I tell the "it's thinK not thinG" instead of "it's thinG not thinK" (as in; anythink, nuffink, which they always get told off for!)

Think as in 'you need to think again'

Got another 'thing' coming.... As in a wallop on the rear end when I was young. Not advocating that in any way though!!!

Think as in 'you need to think again'

Yes, I agree with this comment.

It's very definitely 'think', as per the explanations above... but clearly lots of people have been getting it wrong, so try not to rub it in too much, OP ??