"We had a wrinkle", it doesn't mean that we have wrinkles!

Recently I watched the new American TV series "The Perfect Couple". There was a plot in which a family was planning to hold a wedding and asked the store to send fresh oysters. Unexpectedly, someone was murdered and the wedding could not be held. The family said to the merchant:

"Look, we had a wrinkle, so you're just gonna have to take them all back."

The Wrinkle here is not the "wrinkle" we are familiar with. This word is actually very interesting and practical. Today, let's talk about the authentic usage of this word.

1. We had a wrinkle.

(X) We have wrinkles.

(O) We're having some trouble.

Wrinkles on skin, clothes or paper can all be called wrinkles, and the plural is often used because there is always more than one wrinkle. For example:

• She noticed a few wrinkles on her face.
• I need to iron this shirt; there are too many wrinkles.

In addition to "wrinkles", wrinkle can be extended to "little trouble". As mentioned at the beginning of the article:

Look, we had a wrinkle, so you're just gonna have to take them all back.

Meaning: Look, we have a little trouble now, you have to take all this back.

As an example of Wrinkle being a "little trouble", let's look at a few more examples:

The event went off without a wrinkle.

Meaning: The event went off very smoothly.

What are we going to do about this wrinkle in the computer system?

Meaning: How will we solve this problem in the computer system?

Wrinkle is often paired with iron out, which means ironing it out with an iron, which is a metaphor for "solving troubles and making things go smoothly."

We need to iron out the wrinkles in the contract before signing.

Meaning: There are still some issues to resolve before signing the contract.

2. I'll give you a wrinkle or two.

(X) I will give you some trouble.

(O) Let me give you some ideas.

Wrinkle which can also be extended to "turn". Usually refers to "good ideas, new technologies, new styles", especially something interesting or novel, a new twist or a new way to solve a problem. Often add a new, use "a new wrinkle". For example:

• The meeting introduced a new wrinkle in the project.
• They added a new wrinkle to the game, making it even more challenging.

3. She wrinkled her brow when she heard the bad news.

(X) Her eyebrows wrinkled when she heard the bad news.

(O) She frowned when she heard the bad news.

In addition to being used as a noun, Wrinkle is also used as a verb. For example:

• This shirt will not wrinkle.

"Wrinkle one's brow", "brow" refers to the brow, and "wrinkle" refers to the wrinkles formed on the forehead due to frowning. It is a common expression meaning "to frown". Often used to express confusion, worry, concentration, or dissatisfaction.

To express concentration:

When we are concentrating or thinking about something, we frown to focus. For example:

• He wrinkled his brow as he focused on the details of the report.

Express dissatisfaction:

A frown can also be a body language expression of dissatisfaction or suspicion. For example:

• She wrinkled her brow in disapproval when she saw the messy room.