PLOT THICKENS, THE

the story becomes more complex or involved. —Have You Lived Before This Life? Glossary. Final approval circa 19/9/89

the plan or situation is becoming more and more intricate, complex or involved. A plot is the plan, scheme or events of a story; the main story line of a literary work. To thicken in this sense is to get more intricate, complicated or intense. The term the plot thickens was first used in the 1600s where it described the plot of a play that got more and more complex. It was used by many writers throughout the years, particularly in mystery novels. More frequently in recent times it has been used in an ironic or sarcastic manner to refer to something that is unnecessarily involved or complicated.the story becomes more complex or involved.