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Original poster

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

812 replies

NotMyRealName2015 · 01/11/2015 14:56

I’ll clarify Blush

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. Grin
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.'

OP posts:
StarkyTheDirewolf · 01/11/2015 23:57

I would think it was "toeing the line" as in my DM shouting "you really are toeing the line, teenage Starky!" Because I was misbehaving, the line had been drawn figuratively and I was getting very close to overstepping it. Which would result in me having "another thing coming" which would be a clip round the chops Grin

clam · 01/11/2015 23:57

Oh God, yes! "Towing the line." Have seen some right humdingers on here over that one. People are just as adamant about that as "thing" here.

clam · 01/11/2015 23:59

No, toeing the line means following orders, as in soldiers lined up in absolute formation, up to an exact line on the ground, not over-stepping the mark.

80sMum · 02/11/2015 00:01

Good heavens! I am quite shocked at how many people think that the word they are hearing in the phrase "another think coming" is 'thing'. It is of course "think"!
The sentence," If you think you're going out dressed like that you've got another think coming" makes perfect sense. If you change the second think to thing, it makes no sense at all! What on earth would the "other thing" be referring to? You can't have another of something unless you have already had one!

slev · 02/11/2015 00:02

Yes! TOEING the line - well you're not dragging it with you, are you?!

And I have never, ever, heard of "spitting feathers" meaning "thirsty". Drivel - it obviously means angry. Not that I understand why...

BertieBotts · 02/11/2015 00:02

It's think. WTAF. I'm gobsmacked so many people are WRONG. :o

BertieBotts · 02/11/2015 00:06

OK here's one - when you want to say "Let's go!" in the style of a WW2 soldier, is it "Chocks away!" (ie, removing the wooden chocks from the wheels of the plane to allow it to move forwards) or is it "Bombs away!" (meaning to release the bombs)?

DH swears it is the second and "proved" it on google Hmm Except he is shit at googling but when I proved it back he refused to look Angry

StarkyTheDirewolf · 02/11/2015 00:09

I'm having a learn-fest here! Enlightening!

Fizrim · 02/11/2015 00:12

I'd say chocks away.

Yeah, feathers of fury Hmm I'll stick with thirsty Grin

pieceofpurplesky · 02/11/2015 00:19

I have always said "thing" despite knowing logically it should be "think" because that is what my family have said. As a linguist with an obsession with the fabulous David Crystal I am a believer that language does evolve and this is one that had evolved in many places. If I break it down I can see logic in both.

It is however a small drop in the ocean of language change ... There are bigger fish to fry. Somethink is a mispronunciation whereas "another thing coming" is an evolution in a particular area.
I have many pet hates ... "Will you learn me?", "can you borrow me" , "we was" ... I know Dr Crystal would disagree but these really bug me ...

pieceofpurplesky · 02/11/2015 00:20

Spitting feathers here (north west) means thirsty

BabyHaribo · 02/11/2015 00:24

Think

Thing does not make any sense

NorahBone · 02/11/2015 00:27

Bertie surely both are correct in context. Chocks away to get going (chocks are the blocks of wood they put under the wheels of planes, right?) and bombs away when achieving the objective of your mission (or possibly letting one rip).

RockinHippy · 02/11/2015 00:40

It was always "think" where I grew up in the N.E. & it still is for me & DH, but I've notice friends local to here (south) say thing

They are wrong of course Grin

Thing makes no sense at all - it basically means " you can think again, so you would have another "think" coming - I even remember the teacher explaining that one in an English lesson :)

Epilepsyhelp · 02/11/2015 00:44

It is definitely and absolutely 'think'!! Surely no one can continue to debate that when a) all the links agree and b) it's just logical!!!!! It's like, if you think that then you better think again.

People are weird Halloween Grin

CalmYoBadSelf · 02/11/2015 00:54

Of course it is think, thing makes no sense at all. This is on a par with people claiming "should of" is correct because they thought that is what they heard

Bakeoffcake · 02/11/2015 01:00

My northern mum used to use this phrase a lot

"if you think you're doing that/going there/having that/ you've got another think coming".

Original poster
NotMyRealName2015 · 02/11/2015 01:07

I can't believe this thread has gone on for 16 pages!!!

I am Northern (Manchester) and nothing has suggested that it may be local only. Interesting that it has caused so much debate in peoples homes though. At least it's not just mine!

Funilly enough, I have always used 'spittng feathers; in both contexts, i.e angry or thirsty. Never occured to me to find that odd...

OP posts:
toffeeboffin · 02/11/2015 01:16

Escape goat, ha!

Nearly as funny as Chester drawers.

toffeeboffin · 02/11/2015 01:17

Trickle treating... Wins, hands down.

StarkyTheDirewolf · 02/11/2015 01:18

thing makes no sense at all It makes sense to me. So much so, I'd genuinely never questioned it, or even thought about it before now. I

It's weird isn't it? What one person finds unbelievably obviously wrong, another person doesn't. Grin I aso can't believe it's gone on for 16 pages! We've had a few conversations about language tonight in chez Starky.

StarlingMurmuration · 02/11/2015 07:22

I'm completely northern and i say "think". That's what my gran and parents used to say to me. No idea what other people were saying because I probably heard it as "think".

As an aside, like "trickle treating". I know it's wrong but for me it has pleasing connotations of treacle (trickle) toffee and therefore misty autumn evenings and bonfires! Similarly, my mum and I used to call choux buns "chocs buns" in fun, because they usually have chocolate icing on top. People may have heard us in supermarkets and thought we were very ignorant!

CuttedUpPear · 02/11/2015 07:26

Thing.

HolgerDanske · 02/11/2015 07:33

Oh god no, don't get me started on 'towing' the line.