the thick plottens

English

Etymology

Spoonerism of the plot thickens.

Phrase

the thick plottens

1. (humorous) The plot thickens.
   • 1909 February 3, “In the wake of the news: Weaving the net”, in Chicago Daily Tribune, page 12:

     The thick plottens in the checker scandal. Our expert along those lines, whose monicker is thinly veiled, in the subscription to the appended document, evidently knows more than he is of a mind to spring at this time.

   • 1942, Vincent Starrett, "The Case of the Two Flutes", Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, No.2, p.96:

     "The thick plottens, Gilly," he observed in great good humor. "Decidedly, the thick plottens!"

   • 1993 May 28, Bill Taylor, “Credibility left dangling in Rocky vs. Rockies”, in Toronto Daily Star, page C6:

     Meanwhile, the thick plottens. It involves renegade US Treasury agents, vast amounts of money, lots of gunplay, crashing and exploding planes and the capture of Hal by a gang of serious ne'er-do-wells [...]