One-trick pony

[snopes]

Comment: My girlfriend and I are arguing about a figure of speach. I've
always gone with "one trip pony" and she's gone with "one trick pony" to
which my response was a simple, "ponies don't do tricks - they take
trips - and a crappy pony only takes one." Notwithstanding, the internet
is rife with both and there seems to be no consensus, nor can I find a
definitive etymology anywhere.

[snopes]

Oddly, in some (admittedly cursory) research, I haven't seen anything documenting that the phrase "one-trick pony" was in common usage prior to the release of the 1980 Paul Simon film/album of the same name.

[geminilee]

I am reasonably sure that it is a one-trick pony, and ponies do in fact do tricks. A "one-trick pony" only knows one trick and does it over and over. A "one-trip pony" would not make sense in the context the phrase is used; you do not say it when someone doesn't have stamina, you use it when someone repeats the same thing over and over.

(As opposed to repeating different things over and over, obviously.)

[Andrew of Ware]

I have never heard of 'one trip pony'. I am sure I had heard, and was using, the phrase 'one trick pony' before 1980.

[Chloe]

OED:
one-trick pony n. (also one-trick horse) colloq. (orig. and chiefly U.S.) (a) U.S. a pony which has been taught one trick, esp. one performing in a circus (now rare); (b) a person or thing specializing in only one area, having only one talent, or of limited ability.
1905 Oregon Pioneer Assoc. 32nd Ann. Reunion 264 Among the earliest of mundane things remembered are the resplendent red shirts of the volunteer firemen, conspicuous in every Fourth of July parade; the marvels that were seen at the first one-tent, one-clown, *one-trick-pony, pioneer Oregon circus. 1950 R. FRANKEN From Claudia to David 143 ‘I'll make another basket,’ said Claudia. ‘I'm a one- trick pony.’ 1991 Christian Sci. Monitor 29 Oct. 8/3 Other software companies wonder if Lotus has become a one-trick horse: clever in spreadsheets but little else.

[llewtrah]

Beaten to it by Chloe with the OED stuff. My trawling around circus related material for big-cat related info has thrown up this origin of "one trick pony", especially in the small (one-ring) circuses.

[para1]

I have always heard 'one trick pony' in refenrence to someone or something that is limited to one skill.

But, this reminds me of our dinner conversation last night. DH was telling a joke and used the phrase "you've got another think coming". Both DDs said they thought it was "you've got another thing coming". We explained why we thought it was 'think' as oppose to 'thing', but are DH and I wrong?

[Chloe]

Definitely "think."

"I think I'll leave work early."
"Yeah, you've got another think coming."

"Thing" wouldn't make any sense. What "thing" would be coming, and why?

[para1]

Thank you. This was exactly our reasoning to the girls. I had to come ask though because once or twice I have been wrong before and had perfectly good and logical explanations for my reasoning. Just glad to know this wasn't one of those times!

Thanks!

[geminilee]

I have always heard/said "thing", but you are right it doesn't make sense. Not that that necessarily means that that is not the saying; many sayings don't hold up to logical scrutiny.

[Varenka]

I've always thought it was one trick pony and another thing coming. These bands apparently are on the thing side. http://www.bing.com/search?FORM=SOLT...c=IE-SearchBox

[BringTheNoise]

I've always heard "thing", as in "You've got another thing coming if you think you're getting away early!"

[Chloe]

But what is the thing?

[BringTheNoise]

A stern telling off by a higher authority, I imagine.

[Chloe]

That seems an odd way to describe it, though. Why is it "another thing"? What was the first thing? Whereas "think" has already been mentioned.

[Dropbear]

In my experience: "trick" and "thing".

I also had to address with a staff member the other day the fact that a feeling or belief is "deep seated" not "deep seeded".

Dropbear

[BringTheNoise]

Originally Posted by Chloe

That seems an odd way to describe it, though. Why is it "another thing"? What was the first thing? Whereas "think" has already been mentioned.

Only in the example you provide (or those like it). I've heard it used in situations like this:

A: I'm not going to do the homework.
B: You've got another thing coming if you think that's going to fly.

No mention of "think" there until after "thing". Not every turn of phrase is referential (like that one - phrases don't move at all!).

ETA: The first thing is the suggestion by A as to what they are going to do, the other thing is the actual way things will occur.

[Chloe]

But "think" needs to be in there somewhere, right? Or is there any way to use the "thing" construction without some reference to thought or thinking? F'rinstance, could you say "If you skip school again you've got another thing coming"?

[BringTheNoise]

You're right that "think" has to be involved, but if I may quote from a discussion on another board:

Admittedly, "think" would have a great deal of logic here. But that's too gentle -- merely inviting him to think again on the error of his ways. Instead, an unspecified but ominous and menacing "thing" is headed his way. The mystery of the "thing" adds to its threat, but it falls into the same generally nasty category as the implied "things" in "you'll get what's coming to you", "you'll get exactly what you deserve."

[para1]

Let's try it this way;

Speaker A: "I'm not going to do my homework".

Speaker B: "You've got another think coming, then"

Speaker A is expressing a thought; i.e., the first 'think' is implied in the statement "I'm not going to do my homework".

Speaker B is replying that Speaker A needs to rethink this "You've got (or need?) another idea about homework, cause you are going to do it".


Or are (g) you saying that the homework will be the other thing that Speaker A will have coming and if so, what is the first thing?

ETA: BTN brings an interesting take on this. I am beginning ot think that either could be correct; personally I find that 'think' is more logical to me. Probably because I have been 'hearing' it that way for 50 years.

In unrelated news, I appreciate snopesters who are willing to have a discussion such as this. Language is so interesting and fluid.