Well, I've actually learned something from the OEDILF. While browsing the site I came across the following definition of "another think coming" by Chris J. Strolin:

quote:

If you think that my car you'll be bumming,
I'm afraid you've another think coming.
Yes, that's think I just said,
And not thing there instead.
No, you're wrong. Yes, I'm sure, so get thumbing.

It is entirely possible that more people today use the incorrect phrase another thing coming than the correct phrasing shown above. They're wrong, all of them, and you can tell them I said so.

I had always heard the phrase as "you've got another thing coming", meaning some unspecified consequence or threat - broadly, "you'll have to face the consequences". But it now seems that the original usage was "another think coming", i.e "you'll have to think again"/ "you're mistaken", and that "thing" is a corruption of the original.

As far as I can tell usage appears to be pretty evenly split between "think" and "thing". I had no idea that "think" was ever used in this fashion, except informally in phrases like "I'll have a think". What are people's views here?

Usually heard as ("If you think such and such is right, then) you've got another think coming." Definitely not "thing."

My view is that both usages are normal variation. The "corruption" is about 100 years old, and apparently much more common than the original.

Another thing coming
Have another think
The thin line between error and mere variation

I've always used and heard "think", although some people may have actually said "thing" and I misheard. I can't say I've ever noticed either in writing before. I couldn't see it in the Eggcorn Database.

Whereas I've only ever used and heard "thing". They both seem to be simple idiomatic variations.

I've only heard "another think coming."

You've got to watch out for that CJ!

There seems to be a lot of debate on the subject. I've now read this thread - all ten pages of it! What's curious is that, although opinion seems to be split roughly equally between the two variants, almost everyone is convinced that he/she has only ever heard one version or the other. I suppose that's evidence that we hear what we expect to hear - the two variants are so similar phonetically that it's easily to imagine that a speaker is saying "thing" when it's actually "think" (or vice versa).

The discussion has convinced me that "think" is more logical, but it's still going to take a great deal of getting used to. To me "another thing coming" has a slight air of menace about it (compare "you've got it coming to you") that is absent from a straightforward imprecation to think again.

I've never heard think, only thing. This thread is therefore a bit of a surprise.

I was sure that there was a reggae song called Another Thing Coming, but Google only shows up one by Judas Priest.

Having thought about it, though I am certain that I have only ever HEARD "thing", I can't be at all sure if that's what was actually said to me.

I heard a good example on the radio sitcom "Clare in the Community" a couple of days ago, where I noticed the actress playing Clare quite clearly articulating the "k" at the end of "think". The programme was a repeat and I'd definitely heard that line before, but presumably heard it as "thing" because at that time I wasn't aware of the alternative version. We hear what we want to hear!