Line #124 Main/ThroatSlittingGesture


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/calvin_hobbes_throat_slit2.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:Just another day of being told the consequences for disobedience!]]
6
7	-> '''Otto:''' And once the vicious one realizes he has no further use for an old, blind troll...I-- Well...''[does the throat-slitting gesture]''\
8	'''Dictatious:''' ...well, what? You know I can't see.\
9	'''Otto:''' Oh. I moves my thumb across my throat. It is, as we say, a ''killing'' motion.
10	-->-- ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'', [[Recap/TrollhuntersS2E9TheCreepslayerz "The Creepslayerz"]]
11
12	A common, non-verbal way to threaten someone with death in fiction to slide your index finger or your thumb against your throat to simulate a beheading or a SlashedThroat, sometimes with a vocalized "Kccch!" sound. Usually, the one being threatened will clutch his neck in fear.
13
14	Alternatively, this gesture is used to tell someone to "Shut up" or "Cut it out". In video broadcasts, it is used by those in front of the camera to tell the cameraman or programmers to cut away from the chaos going on before them. In diving, the gesture is used to indicate that the signaler is out of air and needs to use another diver's spare valve right away.
15
16	A subtrope of ImpliedDeathThreat. See also SlashedThroat and OffWithHisHead.
17
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
24	* Late in ''Manga/DeathNote'', Misa Amane and her romantic rival Kiyomi Takada have dinner together, and end up making passive-aggressive remarks toward each other out of jealousy over the guy they both like, Light Yagami. Misa eventually suggests that if Kira(aka Light) is caught, then Kiyomi will be given the death penalty, doing a throat slicing gesture in the anime(in the manga, she instead does finger guns).
25	* ''Anime/SK8TheInfinity'': In the first episode, Shadow taunts Reki with this before their beef.
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
29	* ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'': In "Basketball", Specs Doc makes this gesture at Mr. Moustache and his friend to say "you're going down" when Mr. Moustache challenges them to a basketball match.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
33	* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': As Calvin's parent's are going out for the night, leaving Calvin alone with Rosalyn, [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/03/31 his dad makes the gesture so he knows to behave.]] [[StatusQuoIsGod He ultimately doesn't]].
34	* ''Literature/TheMoomins'': In one strip, the Moomins run afoul of some smugglers who hold Snorkmaiden and Momminmamma hostage in exchange for some bootleg whiskey the Moomins accidentally found. One of them makes this gesture with his cutlass, and [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Momminpappa thinks the man is threatening to commit suicide]].
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Fan Works]]
38	* In ''Fanfic/ThePowerOfTheEquinox'', Cheerilee makes this gesture when she asks Spike if Dimmed Star ([[SuperPoweredEvilSide a transformed Twilight Sparkle]]) would really kill Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon [[KnightTemplarParent for taunting him]].
39	* In ''Fanfic/TwinklingInTheDark'', Joker makes this gesture to Wolfrun after the latter makes a MisterSeahorse joke about him (ItMakesSenseInContext).
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
43	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'': When the Genie explains to Aladdin that he can't kill anyone, he does the gesture, causing his head to come off.
44	* ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'': Carface makes the gesture when reminding Killer to take Charlie out back for his [[DeadlyEuphemism "big surprise"]].
45	-->'''Killer:''' Surprise? What surprise, boss?
46	-->'''Carface:''' ''The '''big'''... surprise''.
47	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': When describing to Mr. Wolf (who is currently disguised as Mr. Poodleton) what it will be like when The Bad Guys are captured, Dianne Foxington affectionately slides her hand in front of her neck.
48	-->'''Dianne:''' Next they're gonna make it personal. That's when you know they're toast!
49	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'': When the King gives the Grand Duke the task of making sure Cinderella doesn't leave the ball before the Prince has proposed to her, he uses this gesture to indicate the price of failure.
50	* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Kronk makes this gesture to warn Yzma that her drink has poison in it.
51	* ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'': Hexus makes the gesture as he's about to attack [=FernGully=] with the Leveler. Since he's made of smoke, he actually cuts his "throat" and then regenerates it.
52	* In ''Animation/HappyHeroesTheMovie'', Big M. gives Little M. a silent throat-slitting gesture to signal to him that they need to get rid of Careless S., who is looking for Sweet S. just like they are. They attempt to hit him unconscious, to no avail.
53	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Scar makes the gesture during the "Be Prepared" number when he tells the hyenas to "take certain duties on board", i.e. help him with murdering Mufasa.
54	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'': Adagio Dazzle does the gesture to [[TheDitz Sonata Dusk]] when she almost reveals the Dazzlings' true intentions to Sunset Shimmer.
55	* ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'': Smee makes the gesture while asking Captain Hook, "Wouldn't it be more humane-like to slit [Pan's] throat?" He also does it when telling the Captain that "Tink tried to do [Wendy] in, she did."
56	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'': When the Coachman offers Honest John and Gideon a large sum for a job:
57	-->'''Honest John:''' And, uh, ''who'' do we have to... ''Kccch!''\
58	'''Coachman:''' No, no, nothing like ''that''.
59	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'': [=McLeach=] catches Cody with one of Marahute's feathers and asks where he found it. When Cody refuses, [=McLeach=] pulls out a similar feather and mimes slashing his throat with it to indicate that he shot down Marahute's mate.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
63	* ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'': During the cooking show, Host!Cat uses the "Cut the feed" variation when Chef!Cat chops part of his tail off and shouts "SON OF A B***!"
64	* ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'': As Khrushchev and his wife are going over the former's notes from last night (seeing which jokes were considered funny by Stalin and which weren't), she finds one that simply says "Molotov chhh". After some effort, Khrushchev remembers it means "Molotov khhhhk", as he's on the list for execution.
65	* In ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid: Dog Days'', an amusement park ride operator makes this gesture while telling Greg and Rowley to be safe on the ride they're about to go on.
66	* ''Film/GalaxyQuest'': Jason gives this gesture to Gwen while they're talking with Sarris as a sign to close their channel so they can plot against him. Unfortunately, [[NonVerbalMiscommunication she misinterprets this]] as him telling her they're doomed and leaves the channel open so Sarris can hear them plotting against him. Plus she has no clue how to activate the "hold button" even if she wanted to.
67	* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'': Drax, being LiteralMinded, is extremely confused the first time he encounters this:
68	-->'''Star-Lord:''' She betrayed Ronan. He's coming back for her. And when he does, that's when you... ''[draws finger across his throat]''\
69	'''Drax:''' ...Why would I put my finger on his throat?\
70	'''Star-Lord:''' What? Oh, no, it's a symbol. This is a symbol for you slicing his throat.\
71	'''Drax:''' I would not slice his throat. I would cut his head clean off.
72	* In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', [[TheEngineer Melekhin]] uses this gesture to signal his people to shut down the malfunctioning caterpillar drive.
73	* ''Film/JustOneOfTheGuys'': As Rick's attempts to ask out a girl named Betty get more cringeworthy, Terry makes a throat-slitting gesture to urge him to abandon the conversation.
74	* In ''[[Film/{{Outpost}} Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz]]'', a Soviet commando team is preparing to ambush a German convoy. Their commander Dolokhov is sending HandSignals to his men.
75	-->''(Dolokhov raises a clenched fist, then three fingers)''
76	-->"Three light vehicles...''(opens and closes his hand three times)'' fifteen men..."
77	-->''(Dolokhov draws hand across his throat)''
78	-->"Kill them all."
79	* ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'': When Indiana Jones escapes from Belloq and the Hovitos warriors, Belloq makes a back-and-forth throat slitting gesture to the Hovitos as an order to kill Jones.
80	* ''Film/SchindlersList'': When a cattle truck carrying women is passing by a boy on its way to an extermination camp, you can see him make this scary gesture indicating that they would be doomed.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Literature]]
84	* ''Literature/MrsSmithsSpySchoolForGirlsPowerPlay'': The man [[TheProtagonist Abby]] designates as "Scarf" makes this gesture to [[spoiler:the Briar Academy headmaster]] when stating what will happen if [[spoiler:he]] doesn't get him [[spoiler:the data he wants]].
85	* In ''Literature/CareerOfEvil'' from the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'', it is noted in the narration that this gesture was a favorite of Jeff Whittaker, the final husband of of Cormoran's mother, Leda Strike, and the man whom Cormoran believed kill her, even though the final consensus was that it was suicide. It is described as one with which Strike was very familiar: "a midair, horizontal slash of the hand, directed at the throat of the person who had offended him." During the trial, after Strike has testified against him, he gives what is described as being a micro-gesture, a miniature copy of the one that Strike knows so well.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
89	* Throughout ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', [[TheCaptain Captain Picard]] (and sometimes [[NumberTwo Commander Riker]]) will use this gesture to order communication with another ship/planet terminated.
90	* ''Series/FamilyFeud'': On the Steve Harvey version, opponents of families with two strikes are occasionally seen doing this.
91	* ''Series/UnderTheBannerOfHeaven'': Per Mormon tradition, Brenda and Allen's wedding is preceded by an endowment ceremony. A throat slitting gesture is part of the endowment, symbolizing that they'd sooner die than betray the secrecy of the temple. This particular oath was removed from LDS practice in 1990, but it would've been part of Brenda and Allen's wedding in the early 80s.
92	-->'''Temple Worker:''' Names, signs, and penalties, which you will receive in the temple this day, are most sacred, and are guarded by solemn covenants and obligations of secrecy, to the effect that under no condition, even at the peril of your life, will you ever divulge them. ''(He gestures for them to stand up and leads them in ThroatSlittingGesture.)''
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Music]]
96	* In Music/MichaelJackson's video for "Music/RememberTheTime", when the Queen is unsatisfied with the fire eater's performance, she calls for him to be beheaded by silently moving her finger across her throat.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
100	* Wrestling/ArnAnderson would do this to end his promos in Wrestling/{{WCW}}.
101	* Wrestling/{{Taz\|z}} would do this in Wrestling/{{ECW}} as a signal for his FinishingMove the Tazmission.
102	* This is one of Wrestling/TheUndertaker's usual taunts, seeing as his gimmick is a deadman/superpowered zombie. There was, however, one case in which the gesture is said to be Taker's signal for Wrestling/BrockLesnar to finish him with a third F-5 and [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable end the Streak]] in Wrestling/WrestleMania XXX.
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Sports]]
106	* American football leagues (high school, collegiate and professional) have banned the "throat slash" gesture. Players seen doing it are penalized for taunting/unsportsmanlike conduct.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
110	* BECMI Immortals rules module [=IM3=] The Best of Intentions. A picture of the jury that will decide the fate of the Immortal criminals shows one of them making a throat-slitting gesture as a warning of the fate of the accused.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Video Games]]
114	* In ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'', Kupe of the Maori performed the Haka and ends with a Throat Slit gesture + tongue out for intimidation. When he sees the player is evil.
115	* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'': In one trailer, the Devil threatens Cuphead and Mugman, who are begging for mercy, with this gesture. For extra creepiness, the Devil's shadow has his hand shaped like a blade, cutting off the heads of their shadows.
116	* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' has the decapitation gesture, in which you point toward your opponent, do a throat slash and end with a thumb down. You can learn the gesture from Vengarl of Forossa, a still-living decapitated head.
117	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRebirth'', Yuffie does this gesture when talking about mission to assassinate Rufus Shinra.
118	--->'''Yuffie''': So when the president steps out... ''(makes her hand into a palm and does a quick motion across from her throat with a "swoosh" sound effect)''
119	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'':
120	** In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'', Tommy Vercetti does this after the final battle describing how him killing Sonny Forelli leaves him and Ken Rosenberg free to run their criminal empire how they want.
121	--->'''Tommy:''' I don't think we're going to get any heat from up north either...\
122	...cause their ain't no up north anymore. It's all down south now.
123	** In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', when meeting with Manny and his cameraman Jay for the second time, Niko tells the latter to stop filming him as he makes this gesture with his index finger. Jay, not wanting Niko to break his camera like last time, complies.
124	* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': This acts as one of [[AntiHero Sol Badguy]]'s taunts, where he draws his thumb across his throat and ending it with a thumb down sign.
125	* In ''VideoGame/LEGOStarWars: The Video Game'', during ''Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'', as the minifigures are incapable of speech, Palpatine ends up doing this when commanding the Clones to carry out Order 66. This gesture is able to get the command to kill all Jedi clearly.
126	* In ''VideoGame/MarioStrikers Charged'', Wario does this toward the other team in his Away team entrance.
127	* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', Kano is having this one plus sinster grin and evil laugh.
128	* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': Reaper has this gesture as an emote and one of his highlight intros.
129	* In ''VideoGame/SunsetOverdrive'', the leader of Las Catrinas threatens the player this way if she were to harm or fail to impress the kids in the hospital.
130	* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'':
131	** When taunting with a shotgun equipped, the Heavy performs this gesture after twirling the shotgun on his index finger.
132	** The RED Soldier does this gesture at the BLU team during the Mac Update trailer.
133	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'': One of Nakai the Wanderer's idle animations has him point at an enemy and then draw his thumb across his throat, a gesture all the more intimidating when it's done by a three-meter-tall humanoid crocodile who can kill an adult human with a blow of his hand.
134	* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', Undyne may randomly do this during her BossBattle.
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Webcomics]]
138	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Tavros does this when he faces off against Vriska, then emphasizes it by holding up a teddy bear's severed head. Vriska makes a similar gesture, but holds up Tavros's severed lower torso instead. [[labelnote:For context]]Tavros was paraplegic, until he got his lower torso cut off and replaced with robot legs. Vriska's the one who paralyzed Tavros in the first place. Surprisingly, that isn't the biggest reason Tavros is trying to kill Vriska.[[/labelnote]]
139	* ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'': [[http://nonadventures.com/2007/09/15/99-luftwaffeballons/ Wonderella befriends a red balloon,]] which is then popped by a brat with a slingshot. She orders the other balloons to smother him to death with this gesture.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Web Original]]
143	* ''Website/CollegeHumor'': In TheStinger to their parody of Music/CarlyRaeJepsen's "Call Me Maybe", the girl closes her curtains in horror after finding out her crush is a neo-Nazi, and he makes a throat-slitting gesture with his fist in response.
144	* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' Darktail MultipleAnimatorProject Poor Unfortunate Souls, Darktail makes this gesture to Needletail to signal he wants her to kill Violetpaw.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Western Animation]]
148	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': In "The Vault", the leader of the [[GangOfHats Bath Boy Gang]] threatens Shoko with this gesture and, in case she didn't understand, says "Pretend my finger's a knife".
149	* In ''WesternAnimation/CentralPark'', Season 1 "[[Recap/CentralParkS1E5DogSprayAfternoon Dog Spray Afternoon]]", Helen does this gesture to Shampagne to let him know she plans on killing him because she believes Bitsy will give him everything in her will, but Shampagne wasn't even paying attention to her, making the threat ineffective.
150	* WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts: In ''Mickey's Service Station'', Pete makes the gesture when threatening Mickey, Donald and Goofy to get rid of the squeak in his car by the time he returns. When time is up, Pete's face appears on the clock and the clock hands do the gesture.
151	* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': In "Daytrip of Doom!", after Webby's attempt to get "water" (fruit punch) goes awry and attracts a manager, Louie does the "Cut it out" version to tell her to shut up. She nervously raises a spork, apparently having [[NonVerbalMiscommunication misinterpreted the gesture]] as him telling her to [[MurderIsTheBestSolution kill the manager]].
152	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In "Fight Fighters", Robbie threatens Dipper with this.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
154	** In "Fox Pop", a fox paints himself silver and enters a fox farm after hearing a radio ad about how much women love silver foxes (not realizing that it's only for their furs). Once there, one of the other foxes tells him about a breakout and warns him about what will happen if he doesn't go with them with a throat slashing gesture. The fox thinks this means he'll get killed by the other fox, so when the breakout occurs, he stays behind, thinking he'll be safe. It's only when he sees the furrier approach with an ax that he realizes what he's gotten himself into, and does the slashing gesture on himself.
155	** In "WesternAnimation/WackikiWabbit", Bugs puppeteers a roast chicken with strings to trick the two castaways into thinking it's come alive, and he makes the chicken threaten them with the gesture.
156	** In "Golden Yeggs", Porky discovers that one of his chickens had laid a golden egg and asks which of them laid it. A goose tells the audience he did it, but is not telling because "I know what happened to the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg... ''krrrrch!''"
157	** In "WesternAnimation/BlooperBunny", Bugs does the "Cut the feed" version as Daffy says [[CurseCutShort "You smug son of a..."]]
158	** In "Daffy Duck Hunt", Porky threatens the Barnyard Dawg (complete with the gesture) if Daffy isn't in the freezer box.
159	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "Angelica's Worst Nightmare," a television psychologist uses the "cut" version of this gesture when he gets a call from a man saying his brother thinks he's a goat.
160	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
161	** In the "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E4TreehouseOfHorrorX Treehouse of Horror X]]" segment "I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did", Marge does this to shut Homer up before he blabs that she was the one who killed Flanders.
162	** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS34E13TheManySaintsOfSpringfield The Many Saints of Springfield]]", Louie from the mafia uses this gesture to intimidate Homer into giving up Flanders' location, only for Louie to accidentally slit his own throat in the process due to his sharp fingernails.
163	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
164	** Beth stands up against Heather in "[[Recap/TotalDramaPaintballDeerHunter Paintball Deer Hunter]]" and as such Heather sets out to get her voted off. Thinking she's got the votes arranged, she locks eyes with Beth and drags her finger across her neck during the campfire ceremony. However, her threat is ruined when Beth receives a marshmallow at that exact moment.
165	** In "[[Recap/TotalDramaBasicStraining Basic Straining]]", Duncan harasses Courtney and she openly questions why she thought he was nice. He slides his hand across his neck and makes a shushing sound while he glances at Geoff and Harold, communicating to her how important his delinquent image is to him and to not reveal an act of kindness he did earlier. Despite her annoyance, she goes along with it.
166	** Heather does not believe that there's truly a serial killer running around on the island in "[[Recap/TotalDramaHookLineAndScreamer Hook, Line and Screamer]]" and goes off alone to do some personal grooming. Izzy, who is well-acquainted with horror movie clichés, declares that "the bossy, mean chick" just sealed her fate. For effect, she slides her finger across her throat while making a slurping sound.
167	** The last one of the peanut gallery introduced in "[[Recap/TotalDramaAftermathITrentsDescent Aftermath I: Trent's Descent]]" is Courtney, who at that time is preoccupied with a phone call with her lawyer to sue the show for not letting her be a contestant. Geoff laughs nervously and waves his fingers across his neck to get the camera off Courtney.
168	** Heather threatens Leshawna and possibly Duncan too by dragging her finger across her throat in "[[Recap/TotalDramaOneFluOverTheCuckoos One Flu Over the Cuckoos]]". She's mad at them for ditching the challenge preparations to get a good night's sleep and has her eye on Leshawna because of her friendship with Gwen.
169	** Team CIRRRRH wins the challenge in "[[Recap/TotalDramaPicnicAtHangingDork Picnic At Hanging Dork]]", much to Courtney's delight because it means her team gets to vote off one of their members that evening and she wants Gwen gone ever since Duncan cheated on her with the goth girl. Duncan picked the winning sheep, so when he realizes the cost and turns to look at Team Amazon, Courtney grins back, points at Gwen, and drags her finger across her throat.
170	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'': In "[[Recap/RidonculousRaceElBunnySupremo El Bunny Supremo]]", Jacques steals the {{Goth}}s' KillerRabbit, Loki, to sabotage them. When the Goths are eliminated, Loki strikes a DeathGlare at Jacques and Josee while rubbing his paw across his throat, terrifying them.
171	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'', Otto Scaarbach does this to Dictatious as he gloats on replacing him as Gunmar's right hand. Since Dictatious is blind, he has to explain that he did so.
172	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Vampirina}}'' episode "Scare B&B", Vee does this to Boris when he almost gives away their identities to Edna Peepleson.
173	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThroatSlittingGesture