# here's a/the thing



## Phoebe1200

The Thundermans, TV series 
The daughter misses her curfew and comes home late. Her Mom is waiting up for her. 

*Mom:* Phoebe, you were over an hour late! Do you know how worried I was?
*Phoebe: *Mom, here's* a*/*the* thing. I'm not a little kid anymore. Heck, I'm the protector of Hiddenville. (Phoebe is a superhero) If something went wrong I would call myself.


I can't hear which one she says, I think it's "a" though but I don't understand the difference between them here. Which one could it be? Please help.


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## Barque

It must be "Here's _the_ thing". It's pretty much a set phrase which means: This is what I want to say. 
The thing = The point I want to make.


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## Phoebe1200

Thank you.

So it's never used with the indefinite article?

"Here's* a* thing"


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## Barque

Not in this context. There could be some other context in which it might be used.


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## Phoebe1200

And what context could that be? Because I really want to understand the use of "a" with this construction.


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## Barque

Phoebe1200 said:


> And what context could that be?


I believe it's up to you to provide the context, Phoebe1200.


Phoebe1200 said:


> Because I really want to understand the use of "a" with this construction.


In your example, "a" is _not_ used in this construction. I said that it could be used in other contexts because you asked if it's never used. I didn't have a particular context in mind.


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## wandle

It seems a fair question. 'Here's the thing' means 'This is the point'. 'Here's a thing' means 'Here is something unexpected'.


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## Glasguensis

Phoebe1200 said:


> And what context could that be? Because I really want to understand the use of "a" with this construction.


*Why? *


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## Phoebe1200

wandle said:


> 'Here's the thing' means 'This is the point'. 'Here's a thing' means 'Here is something unexpected'.


Thank you.


Glasguensis said:


> *Why? *


Because whenever I hear this construction most of the times I can't hear which article is actually said and I'm always left wondering which one it could be.


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## Barque

I'm fairly sure that on most (and possibly all) of the occasions you've heard this, it was "the" that was used. 

_Here's the thing_ is a commonly used, idiomatic expression.
_Here's a thing_ is not, to the best of my knowledge.


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## Glasguensis

Phoebe1200 said:


> Because whenever I hear this construction most of the times I can't hear which article is actually said and I'm always left wondering which one it could be.


But us giving a context where "a" could be appropriate will not really help you with that. If you have this much difficulty hearing which article is being used and you don't have a transcript then it would probably be easier for you to pursue your learning about article use by reading rather than listening.


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## Phoebe1200

Barque said:


> I'm fairly sure that on most (and possibly all) of the occasions you've heard this, it was "the" that was used.
> 
> _Here's the thing_ is a commonly used, idiomatic expression.
> _Here's a thing_ is not, to the best of my knowledge.


Thanks.


wandle said:


> 'Here's a thing' means 'Here is something unexpected'.


Sorry, what do you mean with this? Could you give an example, please?


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## wandle

'Here's a thing' corresponds to 'There's a thing' in the same way as 'this' to 'that'.
'There's a thing' means 'That is something interesting and unexpected'; 'Here's a thing' means 'This is something interesting and unexpected'.

'Here's a thing' could be used to introduce an idea (not an object) when, for example, two people are studying some question and one finds an interesting fact.
'There's a thing' is more emphatic and could be used to start a story, or introduce a new subject in conversation, implying 'This is something you will find interesting'.


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## Phoebe1200

Thank you very much!


wandle said:


> (not an object)


What do you mean by "object"? What kind of object?


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## wandle

A physical object, a material thing.


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## Phoebe1200

wandle said:


> A physical object, a material thing.


Thanks. Why not though? In this case, it would be used with the definite article?


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## wandle

Phoebe1200 said:


> Why not though?


Looking for a material object is a different situation from studying a question or issue. If we were looking for something, we would know what it was and refer to it by its name. If we found an unknown object, we might say 'Here's a strange thing', but not (not usually) 'Here's a thing'.


Phoebe1200 said:


> In this case, *would it* be used with the definite article?


The definite article refers to something specific. Something new and unexpected is not specific in the sense of being already identified.


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## Phoebe1200

Thanks so much.

For example in this sentence, which article would you use?

Here's a/the thing. I learned a new word today.


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## Forero

Phoebe1200 said:


> The Thundermans, TV series
> The daughter misses her curfew and comes home late. Her Mom is waiting up for her.
> 
> *Mom:* Phoebe, you were over an hour late! Do you know how worried I was?
> *Phoebe: *Mom, here's* a*/*the* thing. I'm not a little kid anymore. Heck, I'm the protector of Hiddenville. (Phoebe is a superhero) If something went wrong I would call myself.
> 
> 
> I can't hear which one she says, I think it's "a" though but I don't understand the difference between them here. Which one could it be? Please help.


It has to be "here's the thing" = "here it is". It is a specific something, for example the reason, the explanation, the thing I need to tell you, or the thing you need to hear.


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## Glasguensis

It could also be used with an object, it just wouldn't be an example of an expression being used in the way wandle was telling you about. 

It is simply going to confuse you if you keep asking about possible contexts for a particular combination of words rather than the other way round. The original question was a context where only "the" is idiomatic. If you want to discuss "here's a thing" then it's up to you to provide an example and context, not us.


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## wandle

Phoebe1200 said:


> For example in this sentence, which article would you use?
> Here's a/the thing. I learned a new word today.


If you mean to say 'This is the point' (meaning 'This is what matters'), then as everyone has said, it needs to be 'Here's the thing'.


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## Glasguensis

You need to explain your intended meaning and provide further context - both of the options you provide would require you to continue by saying something else - what?


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## Phoebe1200

wandle said:


> If you mean to say 'This is the point' (meaning 'This is what matters'), then as everyone has said, it needs to be 'Here's the thing'.


I think that here it can also be said with the indefinite article "_Here's a thing. I learned a new word today_" if I'm introducing a new subject in conversation just like you said. Right?


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## Glasguensis

Please state how you intend to continue your dialogue. It's not appropriate as a standalone sentence.


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## wandle

Phoebe1200 said:


> I think that here it can also be said with the indefinite article "_Here's a thing. I learned a new word today_" if I'm introducing a new subject in conversation *just like you said*. Right?


That is not what I said. It was about a different expression, 'There's a thing'.


wandle said:


> 'There's a thing' is more emphatic and could be used to start a story, or introduce a new subject in conversation, implying 'This is something you will find interesting'.


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## Phoebe1200

Glasguensis said:


> Please state how you intend to continue your dialogue. It's not appropriate as a standalone sentence.


"_Here's a thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger_"


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## Glasguensis

That's not an appropriate use of the expression.


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## Scott AM

This is the only way I see "here's a thing" working in a sentence by itself. Needless to say, it's not an idiomatic phrase:

Dingus: I need something!
Wingus: What? What kind of thing? *Here's a thing! *Is this what you need?


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## JulianStuart

(Or You've got another 'thing' / 'think' coming?  - it's fun, but closed, thread)


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## Phoebe1200

Thank you for your replies.


Phoebe1200 said:


> "_Here's a thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger_"


So here it actually has to be "There's a thing" for the sentence to be idiomatic?


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## Scott AM

Phoebe1200 said:


> Thank you for your replies.
> 
> So here it actually has to be "There's a thing" for the sentence to be idiomatic?



No. _(Well), now there's a thing_, used by itself, is an idiomatic expression of surprise (British English, I believe). e.g. _ He won the lottery? Well, now there's a thing!_

To recap:
_Here's the thing._ (standalone) - idiomatic phrase meaning "this is something I want to say" e.g. _Mom, here's the thing. I'm not a little kid anymore.
Here's the thing (as part of a sentence)_ - acceptable English, literally meaning "here is the thing" e.g_ Here's the thing that I meant to tell you. You have a package waiting at the post office._
_Here's a thing _(as part of a sentence) - acceptable English, literally meaning "here is a thing" e.g. _Here's a thing that everyone knows, but nobody likes to admit: relationships take work._

With regards to your sample sentence, I think the best wording for it would be: 
_Here's a thing I learned today - it's a new word which means that my English vocabulary got larger._
or
_There's a thing I learned today - it's a new word which means that my English vocabulary got larger._
... although "something" would be even more common than "a thing". (e.g. _Here's something I learned today..._)

There is a slight difference in meaning between "here's" and "there's", but not a whole lot.


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## Phoebe1200

I truly appreciate your explanation, Scott.

Could I ask you to tell me if these uses that I found on Google are correct?


_Here's a thing_ I just learned: the hunter in Jumanji is the same guy as his dad.
_Here's a thing _I just learned the hard way: Don't ever say, "Don't worry. I actually drink less when you're out of town" to your wife. 
_Here’s a thing_ I just learned! After you carve out your pumpkin, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or allspice, or any spice you’d put in a pumpkin pie inside the pumpkin, then light the candle and the pumpkin will smell like pumpkin pie.
Okay, _here's a thing. _I JUST learned the word "humanitarian," so I will throw that in, and I will throw it in bigly. HUMANITARIAN.


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## Scott AM

Phoebe1200 said:


> I truly appreciate your explanation, Scott.
> Could I ask you to tell me if these uses that I found on Google are correct?



_Here's a thing I just learned: the hunter in Jumanji is the same guy as his dad._ 
_Here's a thing I just learned the hard way: Don't ever say, "Don't worry. I actually drink less when you're out of town" to your wife. _
_Here’s a thing I just learned! After you carve out your pumpkin, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or allspice, or any spice you’d put in a pumpkin pie inside the pumpkin, then light the candle and the pumpkin will smell like pumpkin pie. _
_Okay, here's a thing. I JUST learned the word "humanitarian," so I will throw that in, and I will throw it in bigly. HUMANITARIAN._ 
  - This was probably a mistake where the writer should have written "here's the thing" (the idiomatic phrase), but instead wrote "here's a thing".


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## Phoebe1200

I'm very grateful to you for your answer, Scott.

Thank you all so very much for your kind help.


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## Scott AM

You are quite welcome!


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## SevenDays

Phoebe1200 said:


> The Thundermans, TV series
> The daughter misses her curfew and comes home late. Her Mom is waiting up for her.
> 
> *Mom:* Phoebe, you were over an hour late! Do you know how worried I was?
> *Phoebe: *Mom, here's* a*/*the* thing. I'm not a little kid anymore. Heck, I'm the protector of Hiddenville. (Phoebe is a superhero) If something went wrong I would call myself.
> 
> 
> I can't hear which one she says, I think it's "a" though but I don't understand the difference between them here. Which one could it be? Please help.



I think I might be repeating something already said, but think of "*the *thing" as an *idiom*, a set phrase, which is a _fixed expression_. The idiom introduces something _specific_ in the dialogue (that "I'm not a little kid anymore"), which is why "the" is used. In other words, _the thing ----> specificity ---> I'm not a little kid anymore_.  Now, here's the thing about "here's the thing;" it commonly suggests that what's introduced in the discussion (that "I'm not a little kid anymore") is or should be _obvious/known/relevant_ to _both participants in the conversation _(mom and phoebe). The idiom can also be expressed as "the thing is" or "thing is:"
*Phoebe*: Mom, the thing is, I'm not a little kid anymore.
*Phoebe*: Mom, thing is, I'm not a little kid anymore.

When what's introduced is not "obvious/known/relevant/etc." to the two parties in the conversation, using "a" makes more sense:
_Here's *a* thing_ _I just learned: the hunter in Jumanji is the same guy as his dad. _What you "learned" is known/relevant to you, not to the person you are talking to (linguistically speaking).

In any event, that's the idea. Who knew that a lot of interesting grammar appears in tv shows?


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## Phoebe1200

Thanks so much for your explanation, SD.


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## Forero

Phoebe1200 said:


> "_Here's a thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger_"


There are several reasons that "a thing" seems out of place here.

One reason is that we are much more likely to use "one thing" or "something" unless "thing" is modified (by something such as a relative clause).

Another thing that makes "the thing" much more common than "a thing" is that "the thing" goes with "what" the way "the reason" goes with "why", or "the time/moment/day" with "when", or "the way" with "how"—

_That's why I decided to get a car.
That's the reason _(_for which_)_ I decided to get a car.
Yes, that's the reason. _(= _Yes, that's why._)
_Yes, that's a reason. _

_That's when I decided to get a car.
That's the day _(_on which_)_ I decided to get a car.
Yes, that was the day. _(= _Yes, that's when._)
_Yes, that was a day.

That's how I decided to get a car.
That's the way _(_in which_)_ I decided to get a car.
Yes, that's the way. _(= _Yes, that's how._)
_Yes, that's a way._

_That's what I decided to do. 
That's the thing _(_that_)_ I decided to do.
Yes, that's the thing. _(= _Yes, that's what._)
_Yes, that's a thing._

"The thing" just happens to be used for things we do, things we think, things we want to say, etc., not just for things as circumscribed as reasons, days, and ways.


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## Phoebe1200

Many thanks, Forero.

I also want to ask if my sentence works with "Here's the thing" in the sense of "this is something I want to say"?

"_Here's *the *thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger_"


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## wandle

That works. It says that this enlargement of your vocabulary is the important point which you want to express.


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## Barque

It could if there had been something said earlier which had set the context for that statement. For example, if the speaker is making that statement to explain why he/she had said or done something earlier, it could work. "Here's the thing" means something like "This is what the point is".

_Cross-posted._


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## Phoebe1200

wandle said:


> That works. It says that this enlargement of your vocabulary is the important point which you want to express.


Thank you, Wandle.


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## Phoebe1200

Barque said:


> It could if there had been something said earlier which had set the context for that statement. For example, if the speaker is making that statement to explain why he/she had said or done something earlier, it could work. "Here's the thing" means something like "This is what the point is".
> 
> _Cross-posted._


Thank you.


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## Glasguensis

Sorry but as I already said, neither of these expressions is idiomatic in the context you have described. "Here's à thing" requires that you go on to describe what's surprising. "Here's the thing" requires you to continue about why this contrasts with something else.


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## Phoebe1200

Glasguensis said:


> "Here's the thing" requires you to continue about why this contrasts with something else.


Could you please give an example for this based on my sentence about learning a new word because I really don't understand?  How would you continue it?


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## PaulQ

Phoebe1200 said:


> Could you please give an example for this based on my sentence about learning a new word because I really don't understand?  How would you continue it?


A: “I have this theory: In any language you need only learn 5,000 words and you can express your ideas.”
B: “Yes, but don’t you want to express yourself, “exactly”? _Here's *the *thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger and a larger vocabulary equals more precision._"


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## Phoebe1200

PaulQ said:


> A: “I have this theory: In any language you need only learn 5,000 words and you can express your ideas.”
> B: “Yes, but don’t you want to express yourself, “exactly”? _Here's *the *thing. I learned a new word today which means that my English vocabulary got larger and a larger vocabulary equals more precision._"


Thanks a lot, Paul.


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## Scott AM

Glasguensis said:


> Sorry but as I already said, neither of these expressions is idiomatic in the context you have described. "Here's à thing" requires that you go on to describe what's surprising. "Here's the thing" requires you to continue about why this contrasts with something else.



Glasguensis, I'm confused about your use of a phrase "here's a thing" to mean something surprising. I haven't heard that usage before, nor does a quick Googling reveal any similar usages. Can you give an example so I can see it in use?


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## Glasguensis

Please see posts 13 and 36.


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## Scott AM

Glasguensis said:


> Please see posts 13 and 36.



Post 13 is an explanation, not an example. Post 36 does not give an example of what you are describing.


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## Glasguensis

It is not my role to provide examples. If you have not come across this usage that simply underlines how relatively infrequent it is. I have however heard it used like this, which is why I went along with wandle's description. To me post 36 is a close enough example.


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## nellmacdougall

Here's the *thing* = I want you to listen carefully now as I've reached the important bit of what I want to say, the crux of the argument, or the problem.  Stress on 'thing'.

*Here's* a thing, often preceded by 'now here's a thing'.  Stress on 'here's'.  This time change of subject and feeling that at last we're on to something more interesting.


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## Scott AM

Glasguensis said:


> It is not my role to provide examples. If you have not come across this usage that simply underlines how relatively infrequent it is. I have however heard it used like this, which is why I went along with wandle's description. To me post 36 is a close enough example.



So how are non-native speakers supposed to learn anything, if you just speak in such generalities. "(You need to) go on to describe what's surprising" - what does that even mean? Post 36 gives an example of a very conventional usage, and surprise is not necessarily a component.


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## Glasguensis

The intended use model of the forum is that the person who has a question provides the specific example, and we explain what it means or correct their attempt, as the case may be. I used "what's surprising" as a shorthand for "what's surprising, noteworthy or interesting".


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## You little ripper!

> *Mom:* Phoebe, you were over an hour late! Do you know how worried I was?
> *Phoebe: *Mom, here's* a*/*the* thing. I'm not a little kid anymore.



To me "Here's *the* thing" in the OP simply means_ this is the way I see the situation._ Phoebe is telling her mother that she's an adult now and that she doesn't think her mother should be telling her when she should get home of a night.



> Here's a thing I just learned: the hunter in Jumanji is the same guy as his dad.
> Here's a thing I just learned the hard way: Don't ever say, "Don't worry. I actually drink less when you're out of town" to your wife.
> Here’s a thing I just learned! After you carve out your pumpkin, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or allspice, or any spice you’d put in a pumpkin pie inside the pumpkin, then light the candle and the pumpkin will smell like pumpkin pie.




To me "Here's *a* thing" is usually part of a continuing sentence and simply means_ Here's *one* thing .........
_
Here's *a* thing I just learned: = Here's *one* thing I just learned
Here's *a* thing I just learned the hard way: = Here's *one* thing I just learned the hard way _
................._


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## Forero

I might use "a thing" in the negative to mean "anything" (e.g. "I don't think there's a thing you can do about it"), but I am hard pressed to find a natural context for "Here's a thing".

"Here's a thing I just learned" makes sense, but it does not sound as natural to me as "Here's one thing I just learned" and "Here's something I just learned."


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## You little ripper!

Forero said:


> "Here's a thing I just learned" makes sense, but it does not sound as natural to me as "Here's one thing I just learned" and "Here's something I just learned."


To me it sounds completely natural and what most people in Australia would say.


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## PaulQ

You little ripper! said:


> To me it sounds completely natural and what most people in Australia would say.


Same in BE:
"Here's *a* thing I just learned - don't buy false teeth at a garage sale."
"[If] There's *one *thing I just learned in life [it's] "Don't buy false teeth at a garage sale."


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## wandle

Hear the word of the wise.


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