think - thank - thunk

[GeneD]

Today I came across an interesting expression - "Who'd have thunk it?" Do many/any of you use this non-standard form of think? Do you find it annoying or, on the contrary, interesting and kind of refreshing?

What about the past simple form? It should be thank, I guess. Is it ever used?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's used humorously, like "Where were you drug up?"

 

[GoesStation]

It's used humorously, like "Where were you drug up?"

Drug is an alternative past participle and past simple for "drag" in my region. Many people use it routinely. I sometimes do it myself.

 

[probus]

As two people have said, more or less, thunk is always jocular. Therefore nobody thinks the person using it is proposing think, thank, thunk. Furthermore thank would be impossible because of the obvious confusion.

 

[GeneD]

Therefore nobody thinks the person using it is proposing think, thank, thunk.

Sorry, Probus, I disagree with you here. When yesterday I saw the expression, I instantly figured out what it most probably meant and that it must have been some alternative to thought. Here, the author of the article clearly thinks approximately the same as I do, suggesting that "thunk is used as a pseudo-archaic past participle of think (by analogy with drink/drunk)"

Furthermore thank would be impossible because of the obvious confusion.

Not sure whatsoever that there is anything impossible about the English language.

 

[GeneD]

It's used humorously, like "Where were you drug up?"

I don't understand the expression. :-( What does it mean?

 

[probus]

I don't think you disagree with me, GeneD. I did not say that thunk is not a pseudo-archaic past participle of think. It is, obviously. What I was trying to say was, first, that the pseudo-archaic simple past thank is impossible because thank means something else, and second, when thunk is used it is always jocular, or light-hearted as Piscean put it.

So where do you disagree?

 

[GeneD]

Or wait, I think I've got it. It means "Where were you drag up?", right? And drug is used the way GS said, obviously. Right?

 

[GeneD]

So where do you disagree?

Maybe I misunderstood the following and you meant something else by that...

nobody thinks the person using it is proposing think, thank, thunk

 

[GeneD]

But I'm still not sure I understand that expression. Does drag up there mean bring up or something else? Dragged up= brought up but not very carefully?

 

[GoesStation]

But I'm still not sure I understand that expression. Does drag up there mean bring up or something else? Dragged up= brought up but not very carefully?

The expression would be Where were you drug up from? It's an insulting way to ask "Where in the world did someone find you?"

 

[SoothingDave]

I would say that it's pretty much a fixed, humorous expression. I wouldn't use "thunk" in a serious way or in other contexts. But "who'da thunk it?" is something I have said.

 

[probus]

Thunk is fine in a certain specific context. Thank is not.

 

[emsr2d2]

The expression would be Where were you drug up from? It's an insulting way to ask "Where in the world did someone find you?"

The "from" does not appear in the BrE version. It means, as GeneD worked out, "Where were you brought up so badly?"

 

[GeneD]

Probus, I have no reason to disbelieve you that thank isn't used. In post #6, I said that I disagree with the statement

nobody thinks the person using it is proposing think, thank, thunk.

, which seemed to be not the same. If you meant only that thank doesn't work and nothing more, I simply didn't understand you correctly.

In the same post #6, saying that I'm

not sure whatsoever that there is anything impossible about the English language

, I didn't mean that thank works as the past simple form of think. I meant that it probably could have worked if the language accepted the pattern of drink - drank -drunk. There are so many illogical things in natural languages that few things (if any) seem to me too strange and impossible. At least, thank as the past form of think wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Skrej]

While you're debating this, here's an apropos song by Greg Brown called (naturally, of course) "Who Woulda Thunk It?"

 

[GeneD]

You hit the bison's eye having suggested the song, Skrej. It's not only apropos, but it's also a funny song with a catchy tune, and I'm definitely going to play it on the guitar and sing it today. Thanks a lot. :up: :-D

 

[Skrej]

I think you mean "bull's eye"- at least I've never heard a version with 'bison'.;-)

Greg Brown's music is definitely worth exploring. He's probably my favorite 'thinking' artist - when I want music to sit around and think about, versus just having on in the background. Lots of humorous lyrics and great word-play that's easy to miss if you don't take the time to listen closely. Some deep stuff, but mostly just slice-of-life whimsy.

A couple of my favorites (lyric wise)

Inabell's Sale
Canned Goods - (forwarded to the hysterical part about getting smothered to death by his big-buxomed aunts as a child:lol

 

[GeneD]

I think you mean "bull's eye"- at least I've never heard a version with 'bison'.;-)

You are right: that was "bull's eye". I said "bison's" because the style Greg Brown performed that song reminded me of the Wild West and I imagined you hitting the bison's eye with a revolver. :2gunfire:
:-D

Thanks for Greg Brown and for the suggestion which songs to listen. Very many thanks. Always grateful for good music.