History Main / HandInTheHole

* ''Film/{{Creepshow}}''. In the "Crate" segment, Mike the janitor immediately sticks his hand into the crate after he sees [[FluffyTheTerrible the creature's]] eyes shining and mistakes them for a couple of gems.

* ''VideoGame/TheCatLady'' has one of these to escape the Queen of Maggots' realm at the start of the game and return to the land of the living. [[spoiler: It's a gigantic saw mechanism that lops off the protagonist's arm when she activates it.]]

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' invokes this trope in one of the main quests, where one of the options to retrieve a minor plot device involves digging around in a 'dark hole' [[UnreliableNarrator (implied to be the home of a very crazy mage)]], which will activate the trap hidden inside the hole. If [[ChivalrousPervert Zevran]] is brought along for the quest, he offers to help the PlayerCharacter, and while he is searching in the hole he cheerfully remarks:
-->'''Zevran:''' Ha! Let's see... When was the last time I [[DoubleEntendre slipped my hand into some dark hole]]? Hmmm... [[NoodleIncident Long story, that]].

* ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'': in the UnderwaterRuins dungeon Tethyth, protagonist Ein is asked to put his hand inside the gaping mouth of a lion statue. It results in an increase to his stats. However, you can also put the TeamPet in, with [[HilarityEnsues humorous results]].

* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' during one quest you have to retrieve some dog hair to make a potion, and the only way to get some is to stick your arm into a dog kennel that is the home of a horrible unseen monster (or maybe just a normal dog). The game gives you detailed creepy descriptions of what you feel as you move your hand around inside the kennel.
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuest'', don't look in the hole in the cliffside, or the creature in the hole will eat you and spit your bones out.
* These were added as part of the tombs in ''VideoGame/TheSims3 World Adventure''. They can hide switches to deactivate (or sometimes activate) traps or hide treasure. They are also sometimes full of bugs that causes sims to freak out in addition to the switch or treasure. Sims without the Brave trait will refuse to stick their hand in one if they were recently covered in bugs.
* In the first dungeon in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'', you have to stick your hand inside a lion statue's mouth in order to proceed.

* A fairly creepy example occurs in ''VideoGame/DarkFall: Lost Souls'', with a minor PlotCoupon hidden inside a wall.

* The web novella ''Literature/TedsCavingPage'' revolves around the title character, an amateur spelunker, discovering a fist-sized hole in a cave and endeavoring not just to stick his hand in, but to open it up and crawl through to find out what's on the other side. [[spoiler: CosmicHorrorStory ensues.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Louise plays with this trope in the Halloween episode "Full Bars" when confronted with an unattended 'honor system' bowl of candy. She muses "I wonder what happens if I take two?", reaches in and screams in horror. The other kids react in terror and she chirps "What do you know -- nothing!"

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Homer tries to get a free Buzz Cola by sticking his hand up inside the vending machine but it gets stuck. The fire department is called and they're going to cut Homer's arm off; then it's discovered that Homer is ''holding on to the can''. Once he lets go his arm comes out easily.

* In ''Anime/MacrossII'', Hibiki re-enacts the below mentioned ''Roman Holiday'' scene with Ishtar (it is even implied to be the same carving, ''La Bocca della Verità'').
* One of the first indications that Tsukasa actually has a sense of humor in ''[[Franchise/DotHack .hack//SIGN]]'' is when he reaches into a one of these holes; and then pulls out just his sleeve; with his hand hidden tucked inside it. For the record, it is also a reference to ''Roman Holiday'' as Tsukasa's mother used to watch Audrey Hepburn movies.
* In a ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' manga chapter, Naruto is told to place his head in a statue's mouth. If he has overcome the darkness in his heart, the way forward will open. If not, the statue will come to life and bite his head off. Yeah, [[OffWithHisHead things didn't go well for Naruto]]. [[spoiler:''Gotcha!'']][[note]]It's actually just a slot that has a switch for the door in the back. Killer Bee [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike pulled the same trick.[[/note]]]]
* ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' uses this in "The Reconciliation", when Oxnard appears to get his paw caught in a miniature replica of the Mouth of Truth (see "Real Life" examples below), only to find that it was actually his sunflower seed that had gotten stuck. Much groaning ensues from his fellows.
* ''Manga/GTOTheEarlyYears'': While [[ThePeepingTom peeping on his neighbor]], Ryuji sticks his penis in a hole in the wall and [[HelpImStuck gets it stuck]]. He manages to bluff his way through an attack by the Enoshima High gang, but then [[spoiler:the neighbor, who is [[UnsettlingGenderReveal actually a drag queen]], notices a "strange mushroom" growing out of the wall and moves to put his face next to it]]. Ryuji pulls so hard he brings down the whole wall, trapping himself underneath. What a great time for his girlfriend Nagisa to show up! NotWhatItLooksLike... okay, it's exactly what it looks like.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', where the high minion puts on the scorpion bracelet and sticks his hand with it into the mouth of a giant scorpion statue, to release the army of Anubis. His hand isn't bitten off, though. [[spoiler:It gets sucked dry, and he's left staggering around clutching his now-skeletal arm until the Scorpion King seizes him and rips him apart.]]
* In ''Film/TheScorpionKing'', Memnon tests his sorceress with a combination of this and RussianRoulette. Four snakes are put in six large pots and the table spun to confuse which is empty. She's then instructed to use her {{seer|s}} powers to pick the right pots. After getting it right the first time, she gets tired of the game and drags out one of the snakes, which obeys her rather than biting her.
* In ''Film/RomanHoliday'', Gregory Peck's character sticks his hand in the mouth of ''La Bocca della Verità'', a face carving claimed to bite if someone tells a lie with their hand in its mouth, and pretends that this is exactly what happens. [[EnforcedMethodActing Audrey Hepburn wasn't told about this prank beforehand.]]

* The garbage disposal version happens in ''Film/FinalDestination2'' with a character dropping a ring down the drain and him reaching for it while the microwave shorts out the outlet on the other side of the room. There was a shot of his fingers poking between the grinder blades while the audience watches as [[spoiler:nothing happens.]]

* In an infamous scene from the made-for-TV ''Film/AmityvilleTheEvilEscapes'', Amanda has her garbage disposal jam on her while doing the dishes. The teenage son of the electrician shows up instead of the electrician that another lady called to deal with the problems of the house, and when he sees her reaching in there to clear out the jam, he tells her that she should have taped the thing off. She does so, but then [[TooDumbToLive he reaches down there himself]]. Due to the house's problems being due to an evil possessed lamp (no, really), you can pretty much guess what happens...

* The garbage disposal variant is subverted in ''Film/Halloween1978'', but not until the suspense is built up to some levels.
* In ''Film/{{Leprechaun}}'', the little guy hides in a hollow tree and bites an idiot who reaches it.

* The garbage disposal version is double subverted in ''Film/OneHundredFeet'', where Creator/FamkeJanssen's character is being haunted by the ghost of her abusive husband. The suspenseful moments she spends fumbling around the drain pass without incident. She retrieves the item safely and removes her hand from the sink, but as she's turning away, the disposal comes back on and a ghostly hand reaches out of the drain and pulls her hand back in.
* In a fully-lit variation, a man taken captive by the MadScientist in ''Sssssss'' is chained up, then given a choice between two glass tanks to reach into. One contains the key to his chains and a harmless snake, which is virtually indistinguishable from the other tank's lethal viper and phoney key.
* In ''Film/TheBlob1988'', a cook reaches into a plugged up sink and gets gooey pink stuff on his hand. The Blob reaches out and pulls him down the sink head first.
* Invoked in ''Film/TheKillingRoom'' (2009). Several people are locked in a room and forced to take part in a lethal MindControl experiment. At one point a delivery hatch opens, but nothing comes through. One character reaches into the hatch and gropes about, cringing at the expected nastiness...but there's nothing there, it's just another MindScrew. [[spoiler:Only later when he reaches through the hatch, it slams shut on his hand.]]

* ''Film/Dune1984'': Following the example of the book, Paul is subjected to the Gom Jabbar test, where he sticks his hand into a blacked out box and made to suffer excruciating pain (complete with an ImagineSpot of his hand burning away) to show that he has the willpower and self-control to not pull his hand out of the box before being given permission. Failure of the test means immediate death by poison needle instead, but Paul passes with flying colors.
* In ''Film/EscapeRoom2017'', the clues indicate that Tyler or Natasha will need to stick their hand in the mouth of the stuffed bear head on the wall in order to open the final door. Given everything they have encountered so far, they are reluctant to do so.
* In ''Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures Caravan of Courage'', Mace sees a cute furry critter sticking out of a hole in a tree so against the advice of everyone else present he tries sticking his hand in the hole to catch it. The "cute furry critter" turned out to be the lure of a much larger creature that promptly bites his arm and the only reason he gets away is because the Ewoks fight it off.
* The garbage disposal version occurs in ''Film/MirrorMirror1990''. The garbage disposal is playing up and Susan turns it off and reaches in to try to clear it. After a few tense moments, she pulls at the rag that was jamming it and it starts functioning normally. However, a few minutes later, the mirror causes it to malfunction again, and this time when she reaches into it, the mirror switches it back on; [[{{Fingore}} grinding her hand off]].

* There's a book in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]], ''The Cestus Deception'', which is not dissimilar to the above. Obi-Wan has to prove his goodwill by reaching into a basket with something moving inside. He wonders if it's something venomous and this is a test, but although there's something alive and moving and wet inside, it doesn't hurt him. [[spoiler: It's one of the native Force-Sensitives testing his intent.]]

* In book 1 of ''99 Literature/FearStreet'', the garbage-disposal variation occurs, apparently because a ghost turned it on at the worst possible moment. In book 3, a (''[[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory very]]'' [[ShowWithinAShow fictional]]) movie about the haunting is filmed on site, and an actor puts his hand in a fake garbage disposal to film a scene of this--which cuts off his hand anyway, despite the lack of an actual blade. [[AWizardDidIt A ghost did it]].
* In Joel Rosenberg's ''Keepers of the Hidden Ways'' trilogy, the heroes are required at one point to have one of their members take part in an initiation ceremony with the "Brothers of Fenris". The ceremony involves sticking one's hand in the mouth of a statue of Fenris, which will cause it to be burned off. A somewhat shell-shocked war veteran volunteers to undergo the ceremony [[spoiler:and comes out of it stronger than before. The burning was caused by {{Mjolnir}}, and weapons of the gods could only be touched by gods without harm; mortals would be burned. But the being who had made Mjolnir admitted he had been distracted while making it, which led to it being able to be picked up by some mortals, though the reason the soldier can and others can't isn't explained in that book.]]

* In Jean Ray's short story "Gold Teeth", a professional graverobber cuts four-inch holes in coffin lids to reach in and remove the occupants' valuable dental work. This works fine, until someone who's figured out how he makes a living beats him to a target and installs a small wolf trap...
* In ''Legacies'', a thug who's searching Literature/RepairmanJack's booby-trapped decoy house reaches into a safe to retrieve the money he sees inside, and gets his hand pinned by a mechanical spike. [[FromBadToWorse And that's just the start of his troubles.]]
* In ''{{Literature/Firestarter}}'', there is a concept known as a psychic "ricochet". If someone exerts psychic influence on another too carelessly, a single concept or idea will bounce around in their mind until they are driven to act in dangerous extremes in deference to this concept. For Dr. Pynchot, the ricochet involves an incident of sexual hazing in college, so he becomes obsessed with his new "vulva-like" garbage disposal and [[spoiler:suicides by forcing his arm inside]].
* These show up frequently in ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' gamebooks. As per the [[TrialAndErrorGameplay typical style]] of the books, there's usually no clue whether sticking your hand in is a good idea or not.

* ''Series/TheITCrowd'': When Douglas sticks his arm in a stone face's mouth, he pulls it out seemingly missing a hand. He reveals it was just a joke only when he's already being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, making this an in-universe usage of OverlyLongGag. Although it's implied that he's so stupid that ''he doesn't realize it's a joke''.
* One of the trials on ''Series/ImACelebrityGetMeOutOfHere'', under the title of "Hell-Holes". Most memorably played by Paul Burrell, whose frantic squealing at everything he touched (ants, snakes, spiders) had Creator/AntAndDec in hysterics.
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}''. One of the funniest moment of the series is when Daphne asks Niles to retrieve a ring from the garbage disposal. Niles proceeds to look for it, while complaining about the ickiness. Unfortunately, Martin picks that point to use the coffee grinder; when he starts grinding beans, Niles reacts predictably at the noise, thinking the disposal was turned on.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}''. It's a nice way to test your invulnerability - stick your hand in the garbage disposal - then ''turn it on''.
* One opening scene of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' showed Francis reaching into the garbage disposal to remove a jam and not paying attention to how close he is to the on switch, until he accidentally turns on... the garbage disposal in the other sink. After breathing a sigh of relief at the close call, [[TooDumbToLive he goes right back to trying to remove the jam]].

* Done with a booby-trapped ''vending machine'' in the miniseries of ''Literature/TheTommyknockers''.
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Home", a repairman suffers the full-on gruesome consequences of reaching into a garbage disposal in the Winchesters' childhood house.
* In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' ("Sacred Ground"), Captain Janeway has to stick her hand into a basket with a ''nesset'' -- some creature that makes hissing noises -- as part of an alien VisionQuest. [[spoiler:It bites her.]]
* ''Series/TotalBlackout'' often require contestants to reach into tanks or cages without knowing if what's inside is alive and/or dangerous.
* This is one of the standard challenges on the British kids game show ''Series/{{Trapped|GameShow}}!''.
* On ''Series/LostGirl'' episode "Vexed," vampire Siegfried is hypnotized into sticking his own hand in the garbage disposal and turning it on, as punishment for selling secrets.
* In the pilot of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' Clark, who doesn't know he's an alien, demonstrates his invulnerability to his father by sticking his arm in a running wood chipper.

* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'', adventure "The Underground Menace". A farmhouse has a hole in the wall: if a character reaches into it to grab the book inside, he's bitten by black widow spiders and could die[[note]]While a single black widow bite is painful but not all that dangerous to a healthy adult, ''multiple'' bites could easily be lethal[[/note]].
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' 4th Edition book ''Runner's Guide'' opened with a story of several characters reviewing a video of a young would-be Shadowrunner who's getting wireless advice from an older, more experienced 'Runner that, after helping him out multiple times, tells him to stick his hand in the garbage disposal of the apartment he's staying in for a reward. The "reward" turns out to be a discount for a cybernetic replacement for the hand that was just mangled, as the older 'Runner was, in fact, a very sophisticated ad program for a street surgeon.

* [[TabletopGame/MagictheGathering Magic: the Gathering]] has the card [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370791 Wild Guess]].

* Referenced in ''Only You'', where both Faith and her love interest claim to have seen ''Roman Holiday''. They both pull their pretend stumps out at the same time. [[spoiler:The love interest actually has been lying to her, but he escapes with all his fingers.]]

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'':

* In the ''VideoGame/BlueDragon'' anime, Shu is is almost tricked into sticking his hand into a suspicious hole during a test to unlock the full power of Blue Dragon with a warning that he would lose Blue Dragon if he failed, but at the last second he realizes that Blue Dragon is acting out of character and has been replaced by a fake.

* In the ''VideoGame/BlueDragon'' anime, Shu is is almost tricked into sticking his hand into a suspicious hole during a test to unlock the full power of Blue Dragon, with the implication that he would have lost Blue Dragon if he had done it, but at the last second he realizes that Blue Dragon is acting out of character and has been replaced by a fake.

* ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'': While [[ThePeepingTom peeping on his neighbor]], Ryuji sticks his penis in a hole in the wall and [[HelpImStuck gets it stuck]]. He manages to bluff his way through an attack by the Enoshima High gang, but then [[spoiler:the neighbor, who is [[UnsettlingGenderReveal actually a drag queen]], notices a "strange mushroom" growing out of the wall and moves to put his face next to it]]. Ryuji pulls so hard he brings down the whole wall, trapping himself underneath. What a great time for his girlfriend Nagisa to show up! NotWhatItLooksLike... okay, it's exactly what it looks like.

* The garbage disposal variant is subverted in ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}'', but not until the suspense is built up to some levels.

* In {{Literature/Firestarter}}, there is a concept known as a psychic "ricochet". If someone exerts psychic influence on another too carelessly, a single concept or idea will bounce around in their mind until they are driven to act in dangerous extremes in deference to this concept. For Dr. Pynchot, the ricochet involves an incident of sexual hazing in college, so he becomes obsessed with his new "vulva-like" garbage disposal and [[spoiler:suicides by forcing his arm inside]].

* These were added as part of the tombs in ''VideoGame/TheSims 3 World Adventure''. They can hide switches to deactivate (or sometimes activate) traps or hide treasure. They are also sometimes full of bugs that causes sims to freak out in addition to the switch or treasure. Sims without the Brave trait will refuse to stick their hand in one if they were recently covered in bugs.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* There was a hilarious one-off story in ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' where the characters found a hole in the wall with a big ruby visible behind it. Bob's character immediately reached in to grab it, only to have his arm guillotined off by a trap. Dave reached in to retrieve Bob's arm, and lost his own arm to the trap. Then, a rat started to drag the severed arms away, and Bob's knee-jerk reaction was to ''[[WhatAnIdiot reach in with his remaining arm to stab the rat]]'', with predictable results. The last line of the comic was Brian saying to Sara, "We're going to pick their pockets while they stand there and watch."

* In ''Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures Caravan of Courage'', Mace sees a cute furry critter sticking out of a hole in a tree so [[WhatAnIdiot against the advice of everyone else present]] he tries sticking his hand in the hole to catch it. The "cute furry critter" turned out to be the lure of a much larger creature that promptly bites his arm and the only reason he gets away is because the Ewoks fight it off.

* In book 1 of ''99 Literature/FearStreet'', the garbage-disposal variation occurs, apparently because a ghost turned it on at the worst possible moment. In book 3, a(''[[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory very]]'' [[ShowWithinAShow fictional]]) movie about the haunting is filmed on site, and an actor puts his hand in a fake garbage disposal to film a scene of this--which cuts off his hand anyway, despite the lack of an actual blade. [[AWizardDidIt A ghost did it]].

* The Website/{{Twitter}} user who posted [[https://twitter.com/lobau/status/843717262649393152 this]] is clearly fully aware of this trope. As well as at least one of is appearances.

* This is one of the standard challenges on the British kids game show ''Series/{{Trapped}}!''.

* In a ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' manga chapter, Naruto is told to place his head in a statue's mouth. If he has overcome the darkness in his heart, the way forward will open. If not, the statue will come to life and bite his head off. Yeah, [[OffWithHisHead things didn't go well for Naruto]]. [[spoiler:''Gotcha!''[[note]]It's actually just a slot that has a switch for the door in the back. Killer Bee [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike pulled the same trick]][[/note]]]]

* In a ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' manga chapter, Naruto is told to place his head in a statue's mouth. If he's overcome the darkness in his heart, the way forward will open. If not, the statue will come to life and bite his head off. Yeah, [[OffWithHisHead things didn't go well for Naruto]]. [[spoiler:''Gotcha!''[[note]]It's actually just a slot that has a switch for the door in the back. Killer Bee [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike pulled the same trick]][[/note]]]]

Can be a type of SchmuckBait. A more sexual-nightmare-type example incarnates as VaginaDentata. Compare ClutchingHandTrap.

* In ''Film/TheScorpionKing'', Memnon tests his sorceress with a combination of this and RussianRoulette. Four snakes are put in six large pots and the table spun to confuse which is empty. She's then instructed to use her {{seer}} powers to pick the right pots. After getting it right the first time, she gets tired of the game and drags out one of the snakes, which obeys her rather than biting her.

* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maw%C3%A9_people Mawé]] people of Brazil have a male initiation rite that involves taking hundreds of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera_clavata bullet ants]] and weaving them into a glove, which the boy must put his hand into for 5 to 10 minutes. When finished, his hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed from the sting, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. And to fully pass the ritual, he has to do it ''20 times'' over several months or even years.

* In ''Myth/NorseMythology'', Tyr puts his hand in Fenrisulfr's mouth to prove that the Norse Gods are sincere about their promise to let the Wolf go if they manage to hold him in their bondage games. They weren't, which is why Tyr is depicted with only one hand. It differs in that Tyr knew ''exactly'' what was going to happen to him and so it can be considered a HeroicSacrifice; Tyr not only had strong feelings in the matter (having raised Fenris from a pup), but also the fact that as the God of War, his hand is pretty important to him.

** ''Website/{{Reddit}}'' has r/dontputyourdickinthat, for people posting images of things you should not put your dick in, and probably other body parts too.

* ''Film/{{Dune}}'': Following the example of the book, Paul is subjected to the Gom Jabbar test, where he sticks his hand into a blacked out box and made to suffer excruciating pain (complete with an ImagineSpot of his hand burning away) to show that he has the willpower and self-control to not pull his hand out of the box before being given permission. Failure of the test means immediate death by poison needle instead, but Paul passes with flying colors.

->''"I've got a hole in me pocket!"'' (turns pocket inside out to show hole, then pulls huge item from HammerSpace out of the hole)
-->-- '''Music/RingoStarr''', ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine''

-->'''Zevran:''' Ha! Let's see... When was the last time I [[DoubleEntendre slipped my hand into some dark hole]]? Hmmm... [[NoodleIncident Long story]], [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments that]].