History Main / MundaneSolution

* In ''ExecutiveDecision'', a bomb is "defused" by the simple expedient of thrusting a plastic swizzle-stick between two electrical contacts, thus preventing the detonator from firing.

* In Website/{{Cracked}}'s ''After Hours'', they point out that that if Muggles had just known about [[Franchise/HarryPotter Voldemort]], we would have solved the problem by simply blowing him up.

* Four words from science fiction author LarryNiven: "A knife always works".
* [[TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] frequently runs into foes who are resistant to his magic. One confrontation with a spell-proof ogre is resolved when Murphy cripples the orge with a chainsaw and Harry [[KillItWithFire drenches the ogre in gasoline and ignites it]]. Harry is also one of the few White Council wizards willing to use firearms and frequently uses his staff or blasting rod as a cudgel.
** This was established as a key part of Harry's character as early as the second book, ''Fool Moon'', when he'd run himself out of magic thanks to imprudent use of [[BottledHeroicResolve magical amphetamines]], and still had a rather pissed-off [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent loup-garou]] alpha male to deal with... so he pulled a .38 revolver and shot the guy in the knee. [[SubvertedTrope It didn't really work all that well]], seeing as loup-garou have a HealingFactor to rivaL Wolverine's, but it sure wiped the smug grin off the son of a bitch's face for a while.

* {{Literature/Worm}}'s protagonist Taylor is rather prone to this kind of thinking. Often using whatever she has to hand to improvise a victory. Perhaps best shown in her eventual method of upgrading her bugs damage output by more or less dipping them in hot sauce.

* This is why most of the cast of [[FateZero Fate/zero]] hates [[CombatPragmatist Emiya Kiritsugu.]]

* Most of the [[ElementalPowers crafters]] in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have weaknesses like this. Firecrafters have ElementalBaggage at their command, and they're useless when they're soaked; [[BlowYouAway Windcrafters]] can be neutralized by burying them in dirt, [[MakingASplash watercrafters]] are useless if dehydrated and surrounded by fire, and [[DishingOutDirt earthcrafters]] can't do anything unless they're touching the ground. In addition, wind furies are damaged by salt, which is a problem if someone throws some at you when you're a mile up in the air. All of these get exploited at some point or another, whether in fights or to keep the crafters in question prisoner.

May overlap with NotSoInvincibleAfterAll. Contrast with MundaneUtility, where something exotic is used to solve something mundane, and WeaksauceWeakness, where a no less powerful individual gets strange weaknesses or power. Often taking advantage of a LogicalWeakness. A favored tool of the CombatPragmatist. CutTheJuice is one particular example of this, as is CuttingTheKnot (the weakness of string is a sharp blade!). PercussiveMaintenance is a subtrope. See also DepletedPhlebotinumShells, when the weakness is weaponized. Related to MugglesDoItBetter.

* The 1988 Hanna-Barbera/Marvel special ''LaffALympics: The Man Who Stole Thursdays'' dealt with Dynomutt's arch-foe, Mr. Mastermind, using a super-computer to eliminate Thursdays from the timeline. Captain Caveman defeats Mastermind by simply unplugging the super-computer.

* According to Japanese urban legend, if [[GlasgowSmile Kuchisake-onna]] approaches and asks if you think she's pretty, answering no will get you slashed to pieces in a violent rage. Answering yes will get you slashed to pieces because the word she uses for "pretty" (kirei) is a near-homophone of a word meaning "to cut" (kire), and Japanese boogiemen are fueled by bad puns. [[TakeAThirdOption Giving a neutral answer like "you're so-so" will confuse her into letting you go.]]

---> Little girl: "Yay! Hey Mamma! I'm inna show!"
** Also, when everyone is trying to [[ItMakesSenseInContext kill/cure]] Agatha, Gil, and Tarvek, one of the machines goes haywire, and the [[MadScientist Sparks]] start screaming about how everything is going to blow up, and "NO FORCE ON EARTH CAN STOP IT!" Then, the machine spontaneously stops. Cue everyone looking at Von Zinzer, [[CutTheJuice holding the power plug.]]

---> '''Moloch:''' Why don't we just move this winch? There should be enough cable, and it looks strong enough that we could lower ''everybody'' on a platform. *turns around and notices he's become the subject of several disapproving glares* ...and then, at the bottom, it could unfold into a ... a giant ''caterpillar'' or ... something...\\

* In Website/{{Cracked}}'s ''After Hours'', they point out that that if Muggles had just known about [[HarryPotter Voldemort]], we would have solved the problem by simply blowing him up.

* In Raymond E. Feist's ''The King's Buccaneer'', Nakor and Anthony confront the Lady Clovis, a very powerful sorceress. Nakor tricks her into erecting very powerful anti-magic defenses, at which point he defeats her by throwing pepper at her then hitting her with a bag of apples.

* This occurs at the end of the final boss battle in VideoGame/''{{Portal 2}}''. It turns out that the new physics warping gels all wash off in minimal amounts of water. ''You'' knew that, because it was required to know for previous puzzles. The boss wasn't around for that part, and thus [[spoiler: Wheatley lampshades how much easier it would have been for him to win if he'd known that ahead of time]].

* This occurs at the end of the final boss battle in VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}. It turns out that the new physics warping gels all wash off in minimal amounts of water. ''You'' knew that, because it was required to know for previous puzzles. The boss wasn't around for that part, and thus [[spoiler: Wheatley lampshades how much easier it would be for him to win if he knew that ahead of time]].

[[folder:Web Originals]]
* In JourneyQuest Perf demonstrates a terribly simple solution to an enemy mage. [[spoiler: He hits him in the head with a rock, causing a [[CriticalFailure spell backfire]] to roast the enemy.]]

[[caption-width-right:344:[[http://www.biggercheese.com/index.php?comic=332 Hollywood]], take notes.]]