My friend uses the wrong words...

UQD, the trouble is that your examples with other verbs could be the result of other persons hearing the phrase as "another thing coming" and so generalizing from that. It doesn't mean that "thing" rather than "think" was in the original phrase, just that many people hear the phrase in the "thing" form.

Must admit, I always thought it was "another thing coming" until I saw "another think coming" written, and at first thought the author must be an idiot - at least until I saw it written that way again and again.

Having said that, what is a word or phrase really, apart from what is heard by other speakers? These days more Americans say "I could care less if..." than "I couldn't care less if...". Who's to say that that is wrong. It jars on me when I hear it, but I'd bet that within 30 years the old form will be pretty much dead. Similarly, I'd imagine most people now hear "another thing coming" rather than "another think coming" regardless of what the original phrase was.

So, in short, you'll be right in the end. It just might take some time....

Talk

My friend uses the wrong words...