So, to all you people who claim that “think” shouldn’t be used as a noun… are you sure you don’t want to have a think about that…? 
That should read “codified”. I meant that when “Louie Louie” is written down, what’s written down is the song. That codification can be referred to again and again. A significant-enough divergence from the codification of “Louie Louie” yields a different song.
Languages don’t work like that. When someone says “… another thing coming”, they are not said to be not speaking English. And any individual language can accomodate quite a bit of divergence from any proposed “norm”.
Try before the comma.
If you think I’m buying you a beer (the purchase of which constitutes thing 1), then you have another thing (the lack of the purchase of a beer) coming.
Two things. The purchase of a fine and tasty brew, and utter disappointment. One, two. First the one thing, which you are expecting, then, instead, the other thing, which you did not want.
It makes complete sense. I wonder if people that don’t get this are trying deliberately not to.
Sorry … there are two equally legitimate versions of the phrase.
Understand that these apparent errors of language are in no way related to intelligence.
Oh, I just couldn’t… I’m stuffed.
I think I could have some later, though. Talk to me then, I’ll think about it.
As I indicated in the GQ thread, you are applying logic to an inherently illogical process. An idiom does not have to follow logical rules – there need not be a first “thing”.
But in this case, your question can be answered:
“If you think I’m going to buy you a drink, you’ve got another thing coming.”
The first thing is, depending on context:
a) the expectation that the first party will buy a drink
b) the discrete purchase of a drink
c) the drink itself
Ah. I was wondering if it was a typo or if I was about to learn a new word.
If you think I’ll sit around as the world goes by,
you’re thinkin’ like a fool, it’s a case of do or die
Out there is a fortune waiting to be had
If you think I’ll let it go, you’re mad,
you’ve got another…
What’s that? You don’t consider Judas Priest lyrics to be valid reference material?
But, man, they’re English!!!
[sub] I had always heard it as “you’ve got another think coming, too.” I sort of assumed it was a joke, think sort of rhyming with thing and all…[/sub]
Oh, and another think: If “another think” is a play on words, what is the phrase supposed to be a play on? All I can think of is that “think” sounds very much like “thing”, which would mean that “another thing” would have to had predate it by quite some time. But obviously that’s not the case.
I would hope that in light of this whole “correctness of think/thing” discussion, the irony of your use of the word “cromulent” is not lost upon you…
Huh? Look here. The play on words has been subtly highlighted for you.
If you THINK I’m going to spell this out…
you’ve got another THINK coming.
Do you see? Repetition of the word “think”. Repetition, one of the oldest comic devices in the book, especially when teamed with an element of surprise, which in this case stems from the unexpected use of the word “think” instead of “thought”, which is what the phrase is actually saying. (If you think that, you have another thought on the way.)
Imagine a music hall routine or something (for all I know this may be how the phrases got started):
Wiseguy 1: “Well you know what I think? I think you oughta let me drive, that’s what I think…”
Wiseguy 2: “Yeah, well then you got another think coming!”
Trying to deconstruct a humorous expression like this is like trying to describe a passionflower to a blind man. You either get it or you don’t, I guess.
Yeah, that’s a real knee slapper. :dubious:
“Think” replaces “thought.” To me, it would seem more clever if “think” replaced both “thought” and “thing.” But apparently, I humor impaired.
Heh. I never claimed it’d win a Perrier Award, but at least it is mildly clever. “If you think X, you’ve got another THING coming” is by contrast a real clunker; a non-idiom if you like.
But hey, maybe I should of let this slip. We is on da innernet, after all…
The way I’ve always heard it used, even IF after a saying “if he thinks that…” is he’s got another thing coming.
But in the way I’ve heard it, it (thing) was always understood as an implicit threat.
As in, if he thinks that, where THAT is generally going to get away with something, then he’s got another thing coming, where thing, is something like a whap upside the head for thinking he can get away with “that” in the first place.
True, true, but I don’t think it is said to be a joke. You can hardly blame the idiom (which it is, and if you thing it’s not, yada yada) for not having clever word play when it never claimed to in the first place.
Whap upside the head, or a major disappointment, or the loss of a job, or…
To me, “thing” makes much more sense than “think” precisely because it doesn’t contain clever word play. It can be said in all seriousness.
I suppose whichever one sounds odd to you, it’s because of which one you’ve heard your whole life.
OK, well it takes all sorts. From my experience of the phrase, there is no implied threat - “another think coming” means something more like “the truth will soon dawn on you”. We Brits are just less violent, you know
Hmmph!, Well, having the truth dawn on one, is STILL having a thing happen, as opposed to only thinkin’ it.
But yes, what tdn said.
Put me firmly in the Thing camp.
Thing is just a more effective phrase it has an ominous vague quality. My grandma used to use this phrase as an ominous threat(effectively I might add)
“If you’re planning on going to the movies then you’ve got another thing coming!”
A vague thing and possibly horrible thing is coming, much as the it in “you’re going to get it” or the Shakespeare “something wicked this way comes” sence.
But think? pshawww. Oh no I’ve got a think coming, won’t someone please save me from the think. I just can’t stand the suspense of waiting for the think I’m about to recieve.
Weak, just weak.