OED gives two verbal meanings for “Thing”: to argue something before a Thing, and to objectify. Of course there’s the Thing before which one things. The plain noun entry is massive and just informed an hour of my life down rabbit holes.

Look at 1.017 and 19.043. Do you see what I see in the Shire? Must examine more closely.

• 1.003 and saying things altogether unexpected.
• 1.012 Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things!
• 1.014 What a lot of things
• 1.017 you used to upset things badly
• 1.024 He did not remember things very well,
• 1.028 and hung his things up
• 1.033 It was not the correct thing to say,
• 1.043 and lots of other things which he did not understand,
• 1.050 For one thing Bombur was immensely fat
• 1.058 and things piled up on big trays,
• 1.063 and made tall piles of all the things.
• 1.068 of these dreadful things,
• 1.074 In places deep, where dark things sleep,
• 1.083 the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things
• 1.114 Now things begin to look more hopeful.
• 1.119 a bit more about things,’
• 1.119 but so far still Tookishly determined to go on with things.
• 1.122 and leisure to make beautiful things just for the fun of it,
• 1.123 and they can’t make a thing for themselves,
• 1.134 I was finding things out,
• 1.136 The one thing your father wished was for his son to read the map
• 1.142 One thing he did make his mind up about
• 2.025 and a good many other things,
• 2.038 things have changed for the worse
• 2.048 He had read of a good many things he had never seen or done.
• 2.077 that things were not all well.
• 2.108 The next thing was
• 3.002 He had never seen a thing
• 3.005 for one thing,
• 3.018 (which is a very foolish thing to think),
• 3.025 Elvish singing is not a thing to miss,
• 3.025 not if you care for such things.
• 3.031 Now it is a strange thing,
• 3.031 but things that are good to have
• 3.031 while things that are uncomfortable,
• 3.033 Evil things did not come into that valley.
• 4.001 and most of the passes were infested by evil things
• 4.002 where things were blue
• 4.002 and comfortable things,
• 4.013 So they spread out their wet things on the floor,
• 4.014 It turned out a good thing that night
• 4.024 (and other much more dreadful things),
• 4.025 They make no beautiful things,
• 4.029 “Of the things which you suspect
• 4.041 Gandalf thought of most things;
• 5.007 Only thing to do!
• 5.009 or half-imagined dark things coming out of them.
• 5.011 of nasty slimy things,
• 5.011 There are strange things living
• 5.011 also there are other things more slimy than fish.
• 5.011 there are other things living unbeknown to them
• 5.036 and was forgetting this sort of thing.
• 5.039 Bilbo had heard that sort of thing before;
• 5.055 This thing all things devours:
• 5.055 This thing all things devours:
• 5.056 but not one of them had done all these things.
• 5.060 with that nasty wet cold thing sitting next to him,
• 5.070 He thought of all the things he kept
• 5.070 and other nasty things.
• 5.077 But he felt he could not trust this slimy thing
• 5.082 and get some things first,
• 5.082 yes, things to help us.’
• 5.083 What useful thing could he keep out on the dark lake?
• 5.084 and one very beautiful thing,
• 5.098 on this one thing,
• 5.114 the nassty nosey thing.
• 5.119 He had heard of such things,
• 5.128 He must stab the foul thing,
• 5.130 the only thing he had ever cared for,
• 5.132 or this way will lead you to worse things.’
• 6.009 and I don’t bring things that are of no use.
• 6.060 and wicked things,
• 6.067 and can see small things
• 6.070 A very good thing too!
• 6.070 Dreadful things had been going on down there.
• 6.074 O what shall we do with the funny little things?
• 7.002 The sun was still close to the eastern edge of things.
• 7.007 That is the polite thing to say among eagles.
• 7.016 He calls things like that carrocks,
• 7.092 and carry things with their fore-feet.
• 7.095 and the making of things by smith-craft,
• 7.095 and Beorn did not appear to care for such things:
• 7.095 there were no things of gold or silver
• 7.098 and dark things silent crept beneath.
• 7.126 in there the wild things are dark,
• 7.145 that a thing like a bear left the shadow of the trees
• 8.003 As Bilbo’s sharp inquisitive eyes got used to seeing things
• 8.003 The nastiest things they saw were the cobwebs:
• 8.046 the first thing they noticed was
• 8.046 and the next thing was
• 8.047 The last thing that he remembered was the party at the hobbit’s house,
• 8.048 and I could not count or describe the things there were to eat
• 8.057 all the good things that were being eaten,
• 8.064 and other things of that sort,
• 8.075 He could only see the thing’s eyes,
• 8.075 The spider evidently was not used to things
• 8.078 (or worse things).
• 8.092 As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things,
• 8.092 indeed he could do lots of things,
• 8.121 Things were looking pretty bad again,
• 8.131 and marvellous things,
• 8.144 The giant spiders were the only living things
• 9.011 though it was a dangerous thing to do.
• 9.017 One invisible ring was a very fine thing,
• 9.018 Bilbo discovered a very interesting thing:
• 9.037 butter, apples, and all sorts of things,
• 10.044 and their arrival had turned things into a long holiday
• 11.026 and spy things out a bit!’
• 12.012 Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did.
• 12.012 The tremendous things that happened afterwards
• 12.013 lay countless piles of precious things,
• 12.021 Such a thing had not happened
• 12.082 On thinking things over
• 12.082 some of the things
• 12.089 you found out one very useful thing at any rate,
• 12.096 and to the things that Thorin
• 13.018 as he stumbled on some golden thing.
• 13.043 and they met no sign of any living thing,
• 13.067 and things might have been different.
• 13.071 In all their talk they came perpetually back to one thing:
• 14.007 You are always foreboding gloomy things!’
• 14.038 with which to buy rich things from the South;
• 14.039 and ordered things as he wished,
• 14.040 among all things with wings
• 15.009 and were rewarded with such bright things as they coveted
• 15.034 that they wished things had fallen out otherwise
• 15.038 in places deep, where dark things sleep,
• 15.049 yet he had an eye for many another wonderful thing
• 16.004 Things had gone on like this for some time,
• 16.026 things are impossible.
• 16.036 whose eyes were used to things of wonder and beauty,
• 16.045 Things are drawing towards the end now,
• 17.024 But things may change yet.’
• 18.051 and there were many other things in it
• 19.009 and tales of new things,
• 19.028 As all things come to an end,
• 19.036 and most of the things
• 19.043 and Bilbo asked how things were going