# You have got another "thing" or "think" coming? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931 "2012-11-14T00:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/1 "2012-11-14T00:26:30Z")
Hello, I would like to know what Dopers think about that expression. I just saw it on another forum and really makes me wonder. Is this expression “you have got another thin **k** coming” or “you have got another thin **g** coming”? To my non-native ears, “think coming” sounds a little archaic. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/2 "2012-11-14T00:27:55Z")
I _think_ I’ll move this to IMHO. It’s a better place for this topic than Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/3 "2012-11-14T00:28:31Z")
It’s “another thing coming.” ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/4 "2012-11-14T00:32:16Z")
Think. The whole quote is “If you think that, you have another think coming.” Thing doesn’t even make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/5 "2012-11-14T00:35:51Z")
> [@Feyrat](#): > > Think. > > The whole quote is “If you think that, you have another think coming.” > > Thing doesn’t even make sense. Well, that’s kinda the nature of idioms, doncha know. . . . ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/6 "2012-11-14T00:39:17Z")
Thing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/7 "2012-11-14T00:42:33Z")
I think it’s think. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/8 "2012-11-14T00:43:18Z")
I rarely see people use either, but I’ve never seen anyone use “think” outside these sorts of discussions. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/9 "2012-11-14T00:45:09Z")
It may have been and probably was originally think, but all anyone uses these days is thing. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/10 "2012-11-14T00:45:16Z")
Think makes sense to me, but… [Cite for thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWhInhE6emE) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/11 "2012-11-14T00:50:42Z")
> [@Feyrat](#): > > Think. > > The whole quote is “If you think that, you have another think coming.” > > Thing doesn’t even make sense. OTOH, “If you think that” you’re going to get something different because it’s not going to happen…you’ve got another thing coming. You don’t typically say it to someone that’s going to change their mind, you say it to someone that’s not going to change their mind, but is in for a rude awakening when they get some_thing_ that’s not what they expected. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/12 "2012-11-14T00:51:47Z")
According to the OED it is both, with “think” predating “thing”. It says “thing” arises from a a misapprehension of “think”. According to Judas Priest it is “thing”. “Thing” sounds better to me, but I’ve always preferred campy rockers to English professors. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/13 "2012-11-14T00:52:25Z")
Think. “Thing” makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/14 "2012-11-14T01:11:48Z")
“Thing” makes total sense to me, so it’s the one I use. You expect one thing, and get another [thing]. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/15 "2012-11-14T01:13:44Z")
Thing, and it makes perfect sense. The usage is short for saying something like, “You thought you were going to get that? Well, guess what? You’ve got another thing coming.” It’s “think” that doesn’t make sense. ‘Think’ is a verb, not a noun. You can’t have another ‘think’ coming, because there’s no such thing as a ‘think’ in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/16 "2012-11-14T01:16:53Z")
Another vote for thing. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/17 "2012-11-14T01:17:48Z")
If that’s what you thought, think again. Hence, “think” it is. And I always laughed at Priest for getting it wrong. They should’ve had another think coming. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/18 "2012-11-14T01:29:27Z")
I say think even though I know that’s wrong. I like it better. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/19 "2012-11-14T01:29:42Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > According to the OED it is both, with “think” predating “thing”. It says “thing” arises from a a misapprehension of “think”. According to Judas Priest it is “thing”. “Thing” sounds better to me, but I’ve always preferred campy rockers to English professors. Weird thing about the OED citation - even given the “misapprehension,” their earliest quotation for “thing coming” dates from 1919, while the earliest quotation for “think coming” is from 1926 (and that particular quote is not even in the entry for “think”). ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931/20 "2012-11-14T01:34:35Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > Weird thing about the OED citation - even given the “misapprehension,” their earliest quotation for “thing coming” dates from 1919, while the earliest quotation for “think coming” is from 1926 (and that particular quote is not even in the entry for “think”). It is strange. However I have seen a citation for “think” dating from 1909. I’ll try and dig it up. Posting from phone now and hard to research. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-got-another-thing-or-think-coming/640931.md?page=2)