Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related FFQ: Another Thnk/Thing Coming???

Which of the following sentences are correct?

I know we have had this conversation before in this group, but for the life of me I can't find it.

Growing up, I would have said THING, but over the last several years, I have come to understand that THINK is grammatically correct or at least more grammatically correct.

I only bring this up because my beta says I should use THING and I think I should use THINK.

I only bring this up here, as well, because I think it would make for an interesting discussion. I love my beta and want her to know that I take about 99% of her suggestions as gospel.

DJ!

James

I simply googled "another think coming" and the first two hits were:

http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/thing.html
http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxyouhav.html

The consensus is that the correct phrase is "another think coming." That makes perfect sense, since the use of "another" implies a first, which would be the "think" in the first part of the sentence.

Well, since "he has another <something> coming", and think, as a verb, is no such thing, I'd say thing is more like some thing...

Got it? Thing, I think.

Edit: Well, those links are convincing. Still, I can't picture the word "think" as a noun. I see the expression "another think coming" more as a joke - which would be fitting in the scene D8a used it.

Synthesis:
Use 'thing' if you think it's right.
Use 'think' if it's the right thing for you.

As a long time reader and English speaker (I won't say HOW long) I suspect it can go either way. I always thought it was thing, but then think makes more sense logically.

My entire life I've said it as "another thing coming". I even had that line in my first fic. And then my beta kindly pointed out my error and I thought about it (because I had another think coming) and I realized that "think" actually made more sense (to me). I changed the line in the fic, but I still flip-flop between the two in my mind.

Hey James!

I swear I remember the previous conversation, but I can't find it either! I really want to say the correct word is 'think,' if I recall the previous discussion correctly...

JD...

I'll say what I said then - think is the only thing that's ever made any logical sense to me with this one. Thing just doesn't make sense to me at all.

Exactly the logic that's always made sense to me. You're following on from the original think in the sentence.

But regardless of what's grammatically or logically correct, I think there's a colloquialism going on here that means some people are just used to hearing and using thing instead, whether it's correct or not. And that's a hard habit to get out of.

If I was beta reading or GEing a story for the Archive though, I'd suggest it was changed to think.


LabRat

Actually, while rarely used as one, "think" is, indeed, a noun. This is a really interesting website on the "thing" vs. "think" debate, as well, and pretty much covers everything you ever wanted to know about it .

Oh, and please don't get me started on "I could care less." Yes, I'm a stickler for this kind of stuff. If you think I couldn't care less, you've got another think coming .

Me, too. More logical, too. I usually still say 'thing' out of habit, though.

'Think' gets my vote, especially if you use the "if [he] thinks...then..." construct. But I've always thought 'think' was the more correct usage.

However, I honestly don't think either word would cause the reader to stumble or jerk him or her out of the story. Enough people have seen and heard 'thing' used in that context that they're used to it, so I doubt you could go too far wrong either way

Caroline

Oops. I admit defeat. I've learned something new.
(In other words, I had another think.)

Ack!

What a debate my suggestion spawned.

I had no idea! Where I live, the 'expression' used (obviously slang I guess from what I've read here) is that 'you've got another thing coming'. That's just how I had always heard it said.

I merely changed "think" to "thing" thinking that James had a typo or perhaps there had been a misspelling and WORD had changed it to think.

Again - I had no idea.

Hee hee. Learn new things all the time. <g>

Awww, as much as that makes my day, James, you really shouldn't. Haven't you noticed that after a lot of my suggestions I list the disclaimer - "I think this is correct" or "I don't think you have to have that there"... that's just to cover my butt in case I'm wrong.

Seriously, I have learned so much reading the stories here on the archive, working with betas, and arguing <wink> with GE's over proper grammar and punctuation.

So, I'll continue to try my best - but I'll also continue to use "disclaimers". <g>

Thanks James! And thanks to everyone else for their insight.

-- DJ

EDIT -- I just said the phrase "another think coming" over and over - like 5 times. I think I know how "thing" came to be. When you say 'think coming' really fast... it "sounds" like 'thing coming' - because you are putting a "k" and a "c" (only with a 'k' sound) together. So they run together and form just *one* "k" sound. So, instead, it sounds like you are saying 'thing coming'.

Anyway, just thought I'd share that bit of silliness. Try saying "another think coming" really fast, without pausing for the "k" sound in think... I think you'll see what I mean. <g>

James doesn't remember this since he and I forgave each other well over ten years ago, but he and I actually got in an argument over this one. I was pretty angry when I told him, "You've got another thing coming." He chose that moment to correct my grammar. In hindsight it was not very wise timing, even if I have adapted to his ways since then. Anyway, we got in a doozie of a second argument after that comment. (Don't edit my copy!)

Since then, I'm with James. "I have another think coming."

for my James

Elisabeth

"Don't edit my tantrums, James, I won't be responsible!"

Yes, we had this debate before, and I cited this website then. It is 'think' - because the full expression is if you think such-and-such, then you've got another think coming.

Yes, 'think' used as a noun sounds odd and ungrammatical, but it's one of those expressions that we use even though it's not completely grammatically correct. Interestingly, I never ever saw thing used until I started hanging out on/reading US message boards and fic. So I think it must be a pronunciation and aural thing - someone thinks they hear 'thing', and that may be because the accent makes the K and the G sound alike.

Oh, tell me about it! And that doesn't even make sense. If you could care less, that means you do actually care about the issue in question. :rolleyes:


Wendy

Wow...freaky! Is "You've got another thing coming" just an American saying? Because I have never heard of it with the word think. I can't wrap my brain around it! Sure, as you've explained it, think makes sense, but geeezz...it just sounds so wrong.

I really love these boards for opening my mind up to new learning and international perspectives! Thanks to all of you!!!

Well, it can't be just an American saying, because I grew up in Canada and I always said/heard "thing". IIRC the first time I ever saw the phrase written out was in fanfic a few years ago, and I did a double take, convinced that it was a typo. But then I kept seeing it...and seeing it...

Using "think" undeniably makes sense, but like Susan said, it still just feels wrong. To me, anyway. If I was writing or betaing a story, I would accept either.

Kathy

Sorry - me being lazy again, which I shouldn't be given I now live in Canada! I meant 'north American'.

Seeing 'thing' instead of 'think', as I increasingly do now, in fanfic and (shudder) in published novels, is one of those errors that really jerks me out of a story. But then I've griped before about falling standards in published fiction, and even once complained to a publisher after reading a novel with up to three grammatical and punctuation mistakes on every page.


Wendy

I haven't been on the boards for a while and tuned into this discussion. (I always loved the grammar discussions.)

This, however, isn't about grammar at all. It's about Usage and idioms and geography and maybe even a mondegreen (don't know how to spell that one.

Probably, the original expression was another think coming ..that's usage...but with the separation of land and sea, people began to hear and therefore use another thing coming. That's the mondegreen part (to be explained shortly.)

Both are grammatically correct, it's just a matter of usage and where you live and who your parents were and if you had a teacher who would correct you everytime you used the form that he/she wasn't used to.

Mondegreens are when we think we hear something that isn't what is being said.

e.g. The child who repeats the Lord's Prayer and says Hallowe'en be thy name or those who sing Bob Dylan's song The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind .

And that's it for now. Back to hiding out.
gerry

By the way, I love the responces and DJ, I usually take your disclaimers to heart as well. If I don't care either way, then I change it. If I do, then I don't.


ACK! that would drive me !!!

James