|
|
Post by Alan Petersen on Mar 16, 2015 15:24:46 GMT -5
Interesting. That was news to me too. Smart move not using it since you would have had readers thinking it was a typo. I would have thought that.
|
|
|
|
Post by cbedwards on Mar 17, 2015 11:14:50 GMT -5
I always think of Judas Priest when I hear the phrase. Good tune! I'd go with thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Becca Mills on Mar 17, 2015 14:13:37 GMT -5
I also think (ha!) that "think" can be used as a noun. "I've had a think about this and..." I meant to mention this earlier, but you're right; "think" can be used as a noun. I've never heard it used as a noun in America, but I believe I've run across works by British authors (possibly even yours!) that used it as a noun. The usage would not have stuck with me in those cases, though. I probably would have considered it a quaint British colloquialism.  Yeah, "think" seems plausibly nominal to me, too. Sort of like "having a good cry." |
|
|
|
Post by Becca Mills on Mar 17, 2015 14:16:08 GMT -5
I'm going to avoid using the expression in the future. Whichever version you choose, some readers will think it's a mistake.  |
|
|
|
Post by Alan Petersen on Mar 17, 2015 14:17:12 GMT -5
I've mentioned several of the metal gods into both my books: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Scorpions,. Never quoting lyrics of course but one of the characters is wearing one of their t-shirts and my MC and a supporting character bond over their love of classic metal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alan Petersen on Mar 17, 2015 14:21:57 GMT -5
I'm going to avoid using the expression in the future. Whichever version you choose, some readers will think it's a mistake. That could be a funny dialouge... "you mean think" "Huh?" "Think" "No, thing" "It's think"... "if you think I'm going to use think instead of thing, well, you've got another THING coming." |
|
|
|
Post by Becca Mills on Mar 17, 2015 14:29:18 GMT -5
I'm going to avoid using the expression in the future. Whichever version you choose, some readers will think it's a mistake. That could be a funny dialouge... "you mean think" "Huh?" "Think" "No, thing" "It's think"... "if you think I'm going to use think instead of thing, well, you've got another THING coming." LOL. That would be good!  |
|
|
|
Post by Daniel on Mar 17, 2015 14:49:19 GMT -5
I'm going to avoid using the expression in the future. Whichever version you choose, some readers will think it's a mistake. That could be a funny dialouge... "you mean think" "Huh?" "Think" "No, thing" "It's think"... "if you think I'm going to use think instead of thing, well, you've got another THING coming." Love it!  |
|
|
|
Post by Daniel on Mar 17, 2015 16:02:54 GMT -5
I've mentioned several of the metal gods into both my books: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Scorpions,. Never quoting lyrics of course but one of the characters is wearing one of their t-shirts and my MC and a supporting character bond over their love of classic metal. Most people would probably never guess I'm a fan of selected albums by Ozzy Ozborne, Scorpions, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Evanescence, and Metallica. My taste in music pretty much froze back at a moment just before rap/hip-hop/whatever-they-call-it-now started taking over the airwaves. |
|
|
|
Post by Victoria on Mar 31, 2015 13:02:59 GMT -5
(Belatedly) joining team "think". I've HEARD "thing" but I've always known "think" as the correct version.
This reminds me of the disproportionate rage I feel when someone says "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less" BECAUSE IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THAT MEANS YOU CARE GODDAMNIT.
Phew. I think I need a lie down.
|
|
|
|
Post by whdean on Mar 31, 2015 14:34:31 GMT -5
This reminds me of the disproportionate rage I feel when someone says "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less" BECAUSE IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THAT MEANS YOU CARE GODDAMNIT. Phew. I think I need a lie down. I’m among the few people who’s not annoyed by that expression. Hear me out, though, before you judge me a philistine. I grew up on the east coast of Canada, which is probably one of the most ethnically homogenous parts of North America. Outside the urban centres (and often also within them) about 99% of the population is of British (mostly Scottish) and French descent, going back generations. People coin and use expressions that have little or no surface meaning—just like “I could care less.” You have to be a local to know what they mean. These expressions often involve irony and plays on words, and a lot involve the same dynamics used in rhyming Cockney. If you went back in time a hundred years, I suspect you’d find that this type of “linguistic behaviour” was common throughout North America, at least outside urban areas (which tend encourage uniformity). And I suspect that “could care less” is a leftover from those times. It sounds ridiculous to us nowadays because we've lost the cultural connection to it. |
|
|
|
Post by Victoria on Mar 31, 2015 15:02:29 GMT -5
This reminds me of the disproportionate rage I feel when someone says "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less" BECAUSE IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THAT MEANS YOU CARE GODDAMNIT. Phew. I think I need a lie down. I’m among the few people who’s not annoyed by that expression. Hear me out, though, before you judge me a philistine. I grew up on the east coast of Canada, which is probably one of the most ethnically homogenous parts of North America. Outside the urban centres (and often also within them) about 99% of the population is of British (mostly Scottish) and French descent, going back generations. People coin and use expressions that have little or no surface meaning—just like “I could care less.” You have to be a local to know what they mean. These expressions often involve irony and plays on words, and a lot involve the same dynamics used in rhyming Cockney. If you went back in time a hundred years, I suspect you’d find that this type of “linguistic behaviour” was common throughout North America, at least outside urban areas (which tend encourage uniformity). And I suspect that “could care less” is a leftover from those times. It sounds ridiculous to us nowadays because we've lost the cultural connection to it. I see what you're saying. There are definitely some phrases that I commonly use that don't mean anything on a "words joined together" level but have a cultural meaning (I generally notice them when I'm trying to explain to a non-British person what they mean). But "could care less" is one that I, personally, have only encountered since I started using the internet regularly. I've concluded (not necessarily accurately) that it's mainly a US thing. So it bothers me both because I learned it as "couldn't care less" and only ever heard it said that way until my teens, AND because "couldn't care less" makes more sense. It's a double whammy. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 15:42:36 GMT -5
I heard it as 'thing' for a long time and never could make sense of the phrase. What thing?
When I found 'think' used in an older book it all made sense. It's just a more fun version of 'think again'.
The verbal version is all most people hear and that k doesn't get much stress so it's no surprise it's misheard. It's interesting how few people question it. I think I overthink things too much. LOL I adore colloquialisms and learning their origins, though. Etymology has always been one of my loves (even if my crappy memory can't hold on to what I learn well enough to make use of it most of the time)
|
|
