Across various literary works, "contretemps" is employed to denote an unexpected or minor disturbance that nonetheless carries significant narrative weight. In Joyce's "Ulysses" [1], the word refers to a brief, manageable disruption that the character quickly resolves, hinting at the natural ebb and flow of everyday mishaps. By contrast, in Aesop's Fables [2] and Hardy's "Far from the Madding Crowd" [3], the term takes on a more consequential tone, suggesting that even minor errors or conflicts can provoke deeper, unforeseen emotional or ethical repercussions. E. M. Forster's use in "Howards End" [4] underscores a similar theme, presenting a slight setback as something that, while momentarily unsettling, will not ultimately alter larger life plans. Meanwhile, Jane Austen succinctly encapsulates the sentiment with a simple exclamation in her letters [5], emphasizing the unexpected and sometimes disruptive nature encapsulated in the term.