To Brew a Plot Definition
Definition: To devise a plan.
The verb to brew is most often used to describe witches, who brew potions while thinking deviously about what to do with them. Therefore, if someone is brewing a plot, he or she is thinking hard and cunningly about that plot.
A plot is also something typically done sneakily or deviously and with a considerable amount of planning involved. When someone brews a plot, he or she is crafting a plan, and that plan usually involves scheming!
Origin of To Brew a Plot
This phrase comes from Middle English. To brew something refers to concocting something, usually a drink or a potion. When someone is brewing a plot, it is as if he or she is mixing ingredients together and cooking them to create a plan.
Related phrases include to cook up a plan and to hatch a plan, both of which involve thinking deeply and planning out a course of action.
Examples of To Brew a Plot
In movies, characters often brew a plot to make something happen. They may brew up a sinister plot, such as one to get revenge on someone who wronged them. They may also brew up a sweet plot, such as when they help one character romantically meet another.
You might also see people whispering to each other and think that they are brewing a plot. One person could pull another to the side at an event and say, “Come talk to me for a minute! I need to brew a plot about what to do next.”
After someone has achieved a goal say, he or she might say, “The plot I brewed up worked!”
This phrase is more commonly used in writing than in speaking. In speaking, it is more common to say, “cook up a plan,” which means the same thing.
More Examples
- Of course, they arrive at a town called Hell’s hinges, where a few decent citizens greet them warmly, but the town’s bad men see him as a threat to their existence and brew a plot to drive him out. –Library of Congress
Summary
The phrase to brew a plot is to craft a plan.
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