History Main / CutAndPasteNote

* In ''Anime/DanganRonpa3 - Despair Arc'' episode 4, Nagito Komaeda posts a threat letter in Hope's Peak Academy like this saying "POSTPONE THE PRACTICAL EXAM OR BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN."
* In the anime adaptation of ''LightNovel/HolmesOfKyoto'' one case that Holmes takes on hinges on the differences in two of these notes. The neatness of the job in making the notes is the deciding piece of evidence that allows Holmes to conclude the case.

[[folder: Comic Books]]
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: After Dr. Psycho's supposed death in custody a sinister note threatening ComicBook/SteveTrevor's life is found "written" using cut out words that claims to be from Psycho.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1374712063073967400
%% Made with http://strix.org.uk/ransom
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

* In ''Manga/GTOTheEarlyYears'', Eikichi gets a sketchy part-time job cutting out letters from newspapers, which are implied to be used for ransom notes.
* ''Manga/CipherAcademy'': Each student in class 1-A introduces themselves by filling out a blank "introduction crossword", so that its answer spells out their name. Throughout the early manga chapters, each student's crossword is shown to the reader. The crossword of one of the students, who is called "Anonymity Requested" and insists on hiding her identity, is filled not with her handwriting, but with cut-out characters.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

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

* The Riddler writes some of his riddles this way in ''Film/BatmanForever''.
* ''Film/TheBigHeat1988'' has a ransom note written in this manner early in the film.
* ''Film/WhosHarryCrumb'': The title character is investigating in a kidnapping and the ransom note is this kind of letter.
-->'''Harry Crumb:''' You gonna have your lab inspect this note as much as you want, but they may never discover what I already know.\\
'''Detective Casey:''' And what is that, Mr Crumb?\\
'''Harry Crumb:''' You find that crazy typewriter, and you’ll have your kidnappers.
* In ''Film/{{Fury|1936}}'', when the trial doesn't seem to be going well, Joe takes active measures to get a conviction. He makes this kind of note, and encloses his ring, in an attempt to "prove" he died in the fire.

%%* Done by the criminals in ''Film/BabysDayOut''.
* The logos for ''Film/{{Clerks}}'' and ''Film/ClerksII'' look like this, the former using letters from magazine and product logos, the latter using letters from fast-food logos.
* In ''Film/MoneyMovers'', Mr. Darcy receives a cut-and-paste note warning him that someone is panning to rob the counting house.

* In ''Film/SkyRiders'', any communication from the kidnappers that isn't over the radio is in the form of these notes.
* In ''Film/SeanceOnAWetAfternoon'', the ransom note PhonyPsychic Myra Savage directs her husband Billy to put together for the parents of the young girl they have kidnapped with preliminary instructions for the RansomDrop is pasted together from words cut out of a newspaper.
* The {{blackmail}} demand Justin's brother receives at the start of ''Film/TheyMightBeGiants'' is composed of letters cut out of the newspaper.

* OlderThanTelevision: The original example was from the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' novel ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles'', where it wasn't a ransom note, but a warning. Holmes was clever enough to identify the newspapers that had been chopped up, by the font, and the type of scissors used to do it. One word in the message was hand-written, because the word 'moor' is not likely to be found in the typical London newspaper, and the sender apparently didn't think of cutting out individual letters.

* In ''Literature/MakingMoney'', Moist's old partner-in-crime Cribbins is more familiar with the ''Ankh-Morpork Times'' newspaper from having made this sort of note than from actually sitting down and reading it.

* ''Literature/{{Blaze}}'': After kidnapping a baby from a rich family, Blaze spends a good part of chapter 13 putting one of these together for his ransom note since "that is how they always do it in movies". He has to start over a few times when he reconsiders the best way to word his demands.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{House}}'', Wilson is seen "clipping coupons." When House's beloved guitar is "kidnapped" and the cut-and-paste note shows up demanding ransom, it's not exactly a mystery as to who did it. Not that Wilson's actually trying to hide his involvement or anything... House later comes across Wilson nonchalantly reading a newspaper with big holes cut out of it.
* In the ''Series/{{Monk}}'' episode "Mr. Monk Is At Your Service", Monk (while undercover as Paul Buchanan's butler) solves the murders of Paul's parents thanks to a charred letter in the fireplace. Then he flips through the magazines belonging to his predecessor Edward Stilson and he notices the gaps in the pages.
* Al Bundy sent one of these to his TV hero [[ShowWithinAShow Psycho Dad]] on ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''. He spells "Psycho" with the words S-Y-K-O, claiming that it's impossible to find "P"s and "H"s in ''USA Today''.

* Played straight in an episode of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', when Mr. Yang sends one to the SBPD as part of a [[CriminalMindGames Criminal Mind Game]].
* An audio variation in ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', where [[spoiler:the Machine]] communicates by cutting and pasting audio clips of different people saying different words or phrases.
* ''Series/{{Utopia}}'': [[spoiler:Geoff]] attempts to {{blackmail}} [[TheConspiracy The Network]] with a note made from the newspaper headlines calling for him to step down. It does not fool them for a second.
-->'''Leah''': (''looks at the note'') Newsprint. How very traditional.
* On ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', several years before making [[ListOfTransgressions The List]], Earl and the gang stole a box of silverware from the library. Said silverware was very old and (somewhat) valuable, and everyone in the group wanted it for themselves. Earl excuses himself to the bathroom and takes magazines to make one of these, saying that he has the silverware, and unless the librarian gives him ransom money at a particular time and place, he's going to [[ExactWords kill the silverware]]. ([[IdiotHero Earl never was the brightest crayon in the box...]])
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''. In "Silent Enemy", Captain Archer discovers an alien spy device on board Enterprise, and uses it to deliver a BadassBoast to the unknown aliens monitoring it. The aliens then broadcast back a [[YouHaveNoChanceToSurviveMakeYourTime demand for Enterprise's surrender]], using an edited version of Archer's words.

* ''Series/WhodunnitUK'': In "The Rajah's Ruby", Captain Nickerson recieves a note made up of words cut out of the Times newspaper warning that the eponymous ruby is going to be stolen. The note turns out to be one of the more important clues in unraveling the mystery.
* ''Series/RosemaryAndThyme'' get one in "In a Monastery Garden" which they initially mistake for a parking ticket. It warns them to "stay away from the herb garden or you die."
--> '''Rosemary.''' That's not very nice.
--> '''Laura.''' And they forgot to sign it.
* "A Price Above Rubies" from ''Series/TheMentalist'' has one reading "You'll get a call in 2 hours. Take the jewels where you are told. No cops, or your aunt dies."

* In the ''Series/BroadCity'' episode "Friendiversary," Ilana starts her scavenger hunt with a note made from words cut out of magazines.
* One of the [[FreezeFrameBonus frames]] in the opening sequence of the ShowWithinAShow in episode 7 of ''Series/WandaVision'' shows a note reading "I know what u are doing Wanda"
* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': In "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS7E2ReviewingTheSituation Reviewing The Situation]]", Julie is revealed to have gotten a note mainly made out of newspaper clippings, mainly telling her that there is no place to run and that they are going to get her. It turns out to have come from her former boyfriend, who's asking her to marry her.
* In "[[Recap/ResidentAlienS2E5FamilyDay Family Day]]" from ''Series/ResidentAlien'', after dognapping the dog that Sahar has been watching, Murphy, Harry leaves her one of these reading "If you ever want to see your dog again, return my alien ball. - Alien"
* ''Series/FunkySquad'': ** In "Little Girl Lost", the ransom note for the Senator's daughter is made from letters cut from a newspaper. Ponch detects a strange odour on the paer which the lab later identifies as [[GPSEvidence brewer's malt]].

* Reginald makes one claiming he has been kidnapped in [[http://nedroid.com/2008/07/1812-askbeartato-ransom/ this]] ''Webcomic/{{Nedroid}}'' in order to test Beartato's friendship.

* The Website/SCPFoundation has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1020 SCP-1020,]] an indestructible, self-replenishing kit for making cut-and-paste notes which periodically becomes animated and makes its ''own'' ransom notes. If the person the note is addressed to opens the envelope the victims named in the note will disappear into the thin air, and will then reappear out of thin air once the ransom demands are met. The ransom demands are often strange, and don't seem to do anything to benefit the entity making the demands, with the notable exception of the time it was clearly trying to engineer an escape attempt.

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'', Cruella gets a hold of some of the puppies and decides to send Roger and Anita a ransom note. We see her stitching it together on a sewing machine! Later when Roger is on the phone with the police, he says that he's certain it's Cruella because "who else sends ransom notes that are dry clean only?"
* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'':
** In "Beat With a Schtick", Bloo [[PoorCommunicationKills misunderstands something the newest resident says]] and concludes that he wants to beat him up. Consequently, Bloo tries everything he can to leave the house and settles for expulsion. He confesses everything he'd ever done including putting hot sauce into everyone's food and framing "Jolly Buttons". Mr Herriman is shocked by this and explains that they had Jolly deported. Bloo says "I know. He still sends me postcards" He then holds up a note composed with letters cut from a magazine. It reads [[ImpliedDeathThreat "I Will Get You."]]
** In "Crime After Crime", Coco holds Mr. Herriman's carrot stash in exchange for a written apology for falsely [[DeniedFoodAsPunishment sending her to her room without supper]]. She sends one of these notes to Mr. Herriman, telling him to meet her on the roof if he wants to see his carrot stash again. This being [[PokemonSpeak Coco]], the message says "COCO COCO COCO COCO COCO COCO COCO COCO COCO", with different Cs and Os cut out and pasted onto the paper.

The RealLife justification is, of course, that handwriting is identifiable. A largely DiscreditedTrope in modern fiction, given the prevalence of computers, telephones and other more convenient forms of covert communication. A modern criminal is more likely to simply type up a message and print it.[[note]]Although note that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code some printers will leave a watermark]] on every piece of paper they print stating their serial number. It's also possible to use forensics to analyse the exact chemical composition of the ink used (which will vary based on who made it and when they made it) to narrow down the suspects, meaning a printed letter can be traced just as easily, perhaps even easier.[[/note]] [[note]] Having said that, because this trope has been used in RealLife, most national police forces are prepared for it by maintaining a database of widely-available newspapers & magazines, because sometimes the clipped letters are distinctive enough to be able to track down where they came from. [[/note]] The modern crook has little use for taking the time to create a note that can accumulate fingerprints and DNA evidence, not to mention result in a suspicious pile of hacked-up magazines.

** One arc involves Hobbes sending Calvin anonymous coded insults using this; Calvin's mom eventually scolds Calvin for cutting up magazines without asking permission first, and he figures it out. While he's angry at Hobbes at first, he forgives him after Hobbes reveals he's been sending similar letters to Susie.
** In another storyline, Calvin and Hobbes hold Susie's toy Mr. Bun for ransom, sending her a cut-and-paste note in this style (quote at the top of the page).

* Many of ''VideoGame/Persona5'' VideoGameInterfaceElements use this, fitting this game's theme being about PhantomThief.
** Defied in ''VideoGame/Persona4'', where the protagonist does receive a threat letter late in the game - but the Sender was clearly aware of this trope, as it's a simple Type-and-Print letter.

* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' has a single example in the episode "Beat With a Schtick". Bloo [[PoorCommunicationKills misunderstands something the newest resident says]] and concludes that he wants to beat him up. Consequently, Bloo tries everything he can to leave the house and settles for expulsion. He confesses everything he'd ever done including putting hot sauce into everyone's food and framing "Jolly Buttons". Mr Herriman is shocked by this and explains that they had Jolly deported. Bloo says "I know. He still sends me postcards" He then holds up a note composed with letters cut from a magazine. It reads [[ImpliedDeathThreat "I Will Get You."]]

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: After Dr. Psycho's supposed death in custody a sinister note threatening ComicBook/SteveTrevor's life is found "written" using cut out words that claims to be from Psycho.

* The Wiki/SCPFoundation has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1020 SCP-1020,]] an indestructible, self-replenishing kit for making cut-and-paste notes which periodically becomes animated and makes its ''own'' ransom notes. If the person the note is addressed to opens the envelope the victims named in the note will disappear into the thin air, and will then reappear out of thin air once the ransom demands are met. The ransom demands are often strange, and don't seem to do anything to benefit the entity making the demands, with the notable exception of the time it was clearly trying to engineer an escape attempt.

* In ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox'', the farmers and the animals each send the other a cut-and-paste note. Neither side understands why, because they already know each other's identities. Fox even signs his name.