Need help with strange phrase.

Ok, here's my question.....

Coach is talking about why his team went trigger-happy in the second period and shot 14 three-pointers. They made one and it kind of cost them the game.

His words...

"We didn’t set enough on them. I don’t mind the shots because we have kids that can shoot, we were a little bit hurried on them and a couple of those go in, it’s a-whole-nother ball game so you live with it.".

What I'm having trouble with is the phrase "a-whole-nother". I know that's not how you would put it)or at least i think it's not but i put it so you would know what he meant. My problem is, i really want to use it. Is it "a whole another"? should i just go with "a whole (new)" or what?

 

If you're going to use it, I'd do "a whole 'nother."

But I wouldn't use it at all. If anything, I'd use this: "I don’t mind the shots because we have kids that can shoot; we were a little bit hurried on them."

 

You could use [different] in its place.

 

I'd be tempted just to pretend I heard "whole other" and be done with it.

 

so would I

 

shit, that's what i heard.

 

a whole 'nother

 

There's no reason not to say "whole 'nother." People will understand what he's saying. Personally, I only correct vernacular when I think there's a chance people will think I'm making fun of the guy by quoting him accurately. That doesn't apply here. Generally, subjects should be quoted in their own voices, I think.

 

I just listened to it again, and I heard "whole other."

 

Bottom line, the quote is kind of disjointed and hard to follow and is not surprising in the least.

But I would have no problem used a whole 'nother in a quote if that's what the dude said.

 

I agree with imjustagirl.

That works just fine.

 

I agree with IJAG. Use the first half of the quote, where he's talking about shooting too quickly. By the end of the quote he has talked himself into thinking that if the shots went in, they would have been good shots. Which of course they would be. But they didn't, so they aren't, so use the part that's germane.