plot coupon
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An object sought by a character in a story in order to achieve some objective, having little purpose beyond advancing the plot.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[…] pain to see Clute single-handedly tackle multi-volume fantasy extrusion-product, with its flimsy plot coupons and its stale eucatastrophes.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “plot coupon” mean?
An object sought by a character in a story in order to achieve some objective, having little purpose beyond advancing the plot.
Is “plot coupon” formal or informal?
plot coupon is generally slang.