# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 133
### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2641 "2026-08-09T22:17:57Z")
I can think of at least one.
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### Author:  [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2642 "2026-08-10T00:14:21Z")
This conversation seems so weird to me. It seems like there’s some hidden reason people have for denying the historical fact that “think” was the origin of the phrase, but I don’t know what it is.
“The original phrase used ‘thing’.”
“No it didn’t; here’s proof.”
“Well, ‘think’ isn’t a noun.”
“Yes it is; here’s proof.”
“Well, ‘think’ is an archaic noun.”
“No it isn’t; here’s proof.”
“Well, nowadays ‘think’ is only used as a noun in this one idiom.”
“But this whole discussion is about its use in another idiom.”
It feels like a conversation from Alice in Wonderland.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2643 "2026-08-10T00:16:03Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> I hesitated because of the word “correct.” Linguists don’t use this word.
True, but people who know _Song Lyrics_ can- and the Lyric is "thinK.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2644 "2026-08-10T01:24:06Z")
> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> “But this whole discussion is about its use in another idiom.”
…which does not occur as such in my speech or those of the majority of speakers around me, but has been replaced by “thing.”
But I’ll concede that for a decent-sized minority, both “have a think” and “another think coming” exist. It’s kind of weird as a noun, since we already have “thought” and the gerund, “thinking,” and perhaps that’s one of the reasons a third noun sounds so odd to me. (I might even argue that “have a think” uses the infinitive as a verbal noun, but I think it would take a better linguist than I am to puzzle that out.)
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### Author:  [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2645 "2026-08-10T03:29:48Z")
Think tomorrow and think yesterday but never think today.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2646 "2026-08-10T04:01:54Z")
> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> “The original phrase used ‘thing’.”
> “No it didn’t; here’s proof.”
That one isn’t in evidence. In fact, what’s really weird is that both versions seem to have arisen at about the same time.
> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> It seems like there’s some hidden reason people have for denying the historical fact that “think” was the origin of the phrase
Nothing hidden. It just sounds really really wrong. So it’s hard to wrap my head around anyone using it that way. Surely you’ve heard idioms you didn’t happen to use that hit you wrong and sound bizarre.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2647 "2026-08-10T11:11:17Z")
> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> It seems like there’s some hidden reason people have for denying the historical fact that “think” was the origin of the phrase…
I guess he’s onto us. If anyone is interested in joining, we meet on the first Wednesday of the month.
mmm
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2648 "2026-08-10T12:21:06Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> It just sounds really really wrong
Think sounds entirely right to me. It’s the only word that makes sense with the rest of the sentence. There isn’t another “thing” in the sentence. There is another “think”.
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2649 "2026-08-10T12:50:04Z")
I’m really amazed at how passionately people feel about this idiom. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the phrase used in print apart from the Judas Priest album, but I’ve always heard “thing” and assumed that to be the expression. But I don’t have strong feelings about it either way.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2650 "2026-08-10T12:58:49Z")
I don’t think everyone who has an opinion on it “feels passionately” about it. Usually I’m not thinking about it at all; and when I do think about it I’m not all worked up about it. I just have an opinion about it.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2651 "2026-08-10T13:04:32Z")
I agree. This is a topic that i think about when I’m reading this thread, and otherwise have never thought about. Expressing an opinion ≠ passion.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2652 "2026-08-10T13:07:26Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> Expressing an opinion ≠ passion.
All these years of typing “!=” and I didn’t know you could type that not-equal symbol.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2653 "2026-08-10T13:12:19Z")
On my android keyboard, i click the ?123 button, then the =\< button (which is the caps button when the keyboard is letters) and then long press the = key to get options.
There are a ton of symbols that are easier to type on my phone than on a computer keyboard. Dunno why. But, for instance, ü is a character i want a lot, and it’s easy on my phone (long press u) but such a pain on my laptop that i usually don’t bother.
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2654 "2026-08-10T13:21:46Z")
> [@Thumper668](#):
>
> I’m really amazed at how passionately _some_ people feel about this idiom.
Fixed it.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2655 "2026-08-10T13:27:19Z")
nm
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### Author:  [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2656 "2026-08-10T14:03:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> There are a ton of symbols that are easier to type on my phone than on a computer keyboard. Dunno why. But, for instance, ü is a character i want a lot, and it’s easy on my phone (long press u) but such a pain on my laptop that i usually don’t bother.
I keep a Notepad open on my desktop. Amongst many other things, it has several symbols and letters pasted on it.
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### Author:  [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2657 "2026-08-11T01:34:55Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> That one isn’t in evidence. In fact, what’s really weird is that both versions seem to have arisen at about the same time.
I tend to trust that the Oxford English Dictionary editors do enough research to support what they print in their dictionary.
It is kind of weird that both forms arose at the same time. I guess the fact that the pronunciations are almost identical gave rise to early confusion. Nevertheless, the “think” form was overwhelmingly preferred for a good 100 years.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2658 "2026-08-11T01:58:03Z")
Well, your link is pay locked, so i pulled my old OED off the shelf and had a look-see. I didn’t find any references to “have another think” (or thing) but I did find the examples you gave of think as a noun. And it says “sb, dial. or colloq.”. So perhaps you shouldn’t be surprised that it sounds odd to people who don’t speak that dialect. 🤷♀️
Also, i was surprised to see the first instance if “thing” be an assembly (obsolete) or legal matter. Huh.
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### Author:  [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2659 "2026-08-11T02:09:48Z")
Interesting, the current (online) OED only tags “think (noun)” as “colloquial”, not dialectical. Which edition do you have?
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2660 "2026-08-11T02:19:49Z")
Do nothing at the time; but, after the surgery’s over and I’m feeling coherent again, tell hospital management about it and that it made me uncomfortable.
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