What does the expression “You’ve got another think coming” mean?

If someone’s got another think coming, it means they’re wrong about something. They can be misinformed, biased, or display poor reasoning skills. Either way, they're probably mistaken if they’ve got another think coming. Or at least that there’s someone who believes they’re wrong.

The logic behind “You’ve got another think coming”

As you’ve probably noticed, this phrase is neither logical nor grammatical, but it’s correct. The word “think” in this particular case stands for the process of thinking. It can also denote a single thought.

The logic behind it goes like this:

• Person A thinks something.
• Person B thinks Person A is wrong.
• Person A has another “think” coming (or at least Person B thinks so).

You’ve got another think or thing coming

This expression “another think coming” is quite old. It’s been around for about two centuries. We can find it in news articles, old and new, as well as in pieces of Jane Austen’s prose. While it is obviously not grammatical, it is idiomatic and, therefore, correct.

The alternative expression, “another thing coming,” is newer. Even though it sounds more grammatical, it doesn’t make sense. Most linguists today agree that this is a misspelling of the older phrase.

Examples of “Another think coming”

As always, examples are more valuable than definitions, so let’s see some.

If you think I’m going to give up, you’ve got another think coming. You obviously don’t know me well.

If you think you can drink coke instead of water and stay healthy, you’ve got another think coming. You’ll soon get diabetes or something even worse.

Those who think the crisis is behind us will have another think coming. A new disaster is underway.

It looks like he thinks I’m crazy about him. Well, he’s got another think coming. I’m just playing games with him.

You might think he’s smart, but you’ve got another think coming. His school grades are horrible.

If you think the interest in cryptocurrencies will cease, you’ve got another think coming.

If you think you don’t need an umbrella, you’ve got another think coming. Just check the weather forecast.

If you can think you can just read self-help books for a while and then magically become a more successful person, you’ve got another think coming.

If you think a few hundred dollars is enough to start a lucrative business, you’ve got another think coming. You’ll need considerably more.

If you think what they say in commercials is true, you’ve got another think coming.

If they think politicians are honest, they’ve got another think coming.

If you think money can buy happiness, you’ve got another think coming. The rich are often miserable.

If you think this is the last example sentence in this article, you’ve got another think coming.

If you think I’m quitting my writing career to become a singer, you’ve got another think coming.

Video examples: