----- Original Message -----
From: "The Eternal Lost Lurker" <lurkerdrome@sbcglobal.net>
To: "AJ Andreason" <andreasona@msn.com>; "Fan Fiction Mailing List"
<ffml@anifics.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 1:04 AM
Subject: [FFML] [RANT] Typographical/proper word choice rant

"No, no, no!" Chichi snapped, whirling around to face Goku. "Absolutely

not!

If you think MY Gohan is going to stop his studying to go off and have

some

silly race with you around the sun--which is really dangerous!--than you
****have another thing coming****, and that "provided the fish so I

should

get a

little leeway" line isn't going to cut it here!"

Notice the phrase I've outlined with asterisks, people.

I see this far, far too often in fanfics, and even in professional

writing.

I'd just like to know what malfunction in the human brain makes people

think

"thing" is the word that actually belongs in that expression.

Because if you think "thing" is right for that expression, then...

YOU HAVE ANOTHER *THINK* COMING.

PLEASE pay closer attention to the difference between "think" and "thing",
people.

That is all.

Actually, the way I read it, it is correct.  But there's a good chance I'm
reading it wrong, I suppose.

If you think [expectation of something] than you have another thing
(something other than your expectation) coming.

In this case it could be rewritten to something like:

If you expect MY Gohan is going to stop his studying to go off and have some
silly race with you around the sun--which is really dangerous!--then you're
going to be surprised, and that "provided the fish so I should get a little
leeway" line isn't going to cut it here!"

Does that make sense?  ^_^

Also note that 'than you have another thing coming' should be 'then you
have', btw, as the wrong word is used here.

On a similar note, another phrase that is consistently mangled is "I could
care less."  Well, gee, that means that you DO CARE!  It's common to see
people writing or hear them saying that, when it obviously makes no sense
with regards to what their intended meaning--that they don't care--is.
"Like I could care less." would work, as it's a sarcastic version of, "I
couldn't care less." which is what people should actually be saying, but, "I
could care less," which is the shortened, sarcastic version of the correct
saying, makes no sense when actually written out unless accompanied by other
cues to show sarcasm, like a derisive laugh or a snort or rolling eyes or
something similar, and even then it's weak and using the correct way of
saying it works much better.

And...

Well, gee, it's time for class.  Off, off I go!  ^_^;


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