Because Arguing on Fanficrants Is a Waste of Time - a Poll

[lil_shepherd]

Over on fanficrants an argument is raging over the use of the phrase, "another think coming," as in "If he thought that, he had another think coming." Apparently, a large number of people have always believed and used "another thing coming" even if the first part of the phrase is retained.

So, a poll:

Poll Think or thing

Comments

[bigtitch]

And don't get me started on 'All mouth and no trousers'!

[lil_shepherd]

*snork*

[sidhe_woman]

My gran used to say 'all lace and no knickers', and sometimes, 'all fur coat and no knickers'.

Goes along with 'no better than she ought to be ..' which doesn't make sense, really.

As for the original question, I'm undecided. Think or thing... I dunno.

[bigtitch]

Well there's 'Fur coat and no knickers' and 'All mouth and trousers'. Both perfectly good expressions that don't need mixing up.

[akicif]

Grey tokes from Lidl eggcorns go....

[lil_shepherd]

Precisely.

[alitalf]

"He was so annoying with his use of the wrong words that his friends clubbed together - and hit him with it."

[lil_shepherd]

Yes, I'm afraid so.

However, the demographic on fanficrants is much younger and more American based than on this LJ. I really ought to just go to watching (there are some wonderful train-crashes) just to stop myself being tempted to add my twopenneth.

[lil_shepherd]

It's very colloquial and no longer widely used. I can't remember where I heard or read it first, but I am pretty sure it originated in the States, and I've seen/heard it used most in hard-boiled detective.

[oreouk]

I use it in ranting, usually verbally. But then I spent 4 formative years in the States, so maybe I was corrupted young...

[lil_shepherd]

Shiv thinks it's UK English. madfilkentist is, of course, from Boston, where the language still has close links to UK English. I read an awful lot of American fiction, particularly in my teens. The only reference that turns up on the collected Oxford Dictionary reference site, apart from the OED is, would you believe, Anne McCaffery

970 A. McCaffrey Ship Who Sang (1991) 108 "If you think I'm going to travel free-fall all the way to Regulus, you've another think coming."

Which is in something called "A Dictionary of Science Fiction". This does not help at all with the place problem, does it?

[oreouk]

It really has spawned the most amazing argument, hasn't it?

[lil_shepherd]

Some people are getting ridiculously upset about it. It's basically a mishearing that has found its way into print, like "could of" -- but when I pointed this out, I got 500 word rants on how the two could not be equated!

[blamebrampton]

I thought you were completely right. I suppose it's nuffink to get too stressed about ;-)

[lil_shepherd]

Ina was chuckling mightily over your input. Which was, of course, correct. Ina has firmly retracted her posting rights on fanficrants and there are days when I feel like doing the same.