the plot thickens
1
7.1
- idiom
:
la trama se complica
- As new evidence emerged, the plot thickens in the murder investigation.
So the story thickens, The plot thickens.
- So the story thickens, The plot thickens.
Examples
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OK, so now the plot thickens and now they repeat the experiment, but this time they make some very rat salient asymmetry over here.
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The plot thickens.
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And the plot thickens, huh?
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I don't know what's happening, you guys, but the plot thickens, I realized.
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The plot thickens, Stout Fella!
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The plot thickens...
Fiction book (1996) -
The plot thickens; their conspiracy is winding to fruition—now he "has more leverage."
Blog text (10) -
The plot thickens when Chris's director and former lover dies suspiciously, and a Jewish detective named Kinderman investigates the case.
Academic text (2014) -
When the main character discovers a hidden secret, the plot thickens dramatically.
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In the latest episode, the plot thickens as unexpected alliances are formed.
How Complicated
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + plot + thickens
The meaning maps from a metaphorical extension of 'thicken' (to become denser) applied to 'plot' (storyline), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer that the story or situation is becoming more complicated or layered. Because this is a conventionalized metaphor rather than a strictly literal composition, the exact pragmatic nuance ('new developments make things more interesting/complicated') may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The plot thickens uses a simple picture: the plot (the story) becomes thicker like a sauce or fog as more things are added. So, when new facts make the story more tangled or exciting, people say 'the plot thickens' to mean the situation is getting 'more complicated' or 'more interesting'.