History Main / CutAndPasteNote

* In ''Film/SomeGuyWhoKillsPeople'', after the killings start, the sheriff receives a cut-and-paste note reading "An [picture of an eye] 4 an [picture of an eye]".

* Parodied in a comic in the March 21, 2010 edition of ''Parade'' magazine. A man reads a CutAndPasteNote reading "I've got your magazine. Send $1 million or [[FingerInTheMail I'll cut out more letters]]."

* Played almost straight on an episode of the [[TheEighties '80s]] version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}.'' The Turtles manage to get their hands on the MacGuffin, a set of cuff links, but the villains capture April. They send the Turtles a CutAndPasteNote demanding an exchange, [[HostageForMacGuffin April for the "buff links"]]. The last part confuses Michaelangelo before Donatello suggests that they must have run out of c's.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': 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.

* There were at least two humorous letters of this kind sent to ''Magazine/TopSecret'' (and subsequently published), containing demands of ransom for the safe return of supposedly kidnapped editors.

* In ''Discworld/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.

* 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.

* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'': In "Candidate for Crime", the murderer sends a death threat to himself made up of words cut from the newspaper as part of his plan to convince the police that his life is under threat and that the murder he committed was actually a case of MurderByMistake aimed at him.

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]] The modern crook has little use for taking the time to create a note that can accumulate fingerprints, not to mention result in a suspicious pile of hacked-up magazines.

* In ''Film/InspectorGadget 2'', Dr. Claw sends Gadget such a letter to lead him into a trap, signed A Concerned Citizen. Gadget concludes that [[TooDumbToLive the citizen must have terrible handwriting]].

[[caption-width-right:301:Wouldn't it be easier to actually look for ''words'' rather than separate letters?]]

* One of the funniest real-life uses of the cut-and-paste note is probably [[http://gawker.com/5980342/thief-who-stole-iconic-golden-cookie-releases-amazing-ransom-note-demanding-cookies-for-all-the-sick-kids-in-town the one made by the thief of a giant golden cookie in Germany.]] With a photo of them dressed as [[Characters/SesameStreet Cookie Monster]]. Gotta pity the people who had to read the news on this [[{{Corpsing}} with a straight face]].

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 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]] The modern crook has little use for taking the time to create a note that can accumulate fingerprints, not to mention result in a suspicious pile of hacked-up magazines.

* In ''Manga/MedakaBox'', episode/chapter 02, a moment similar to the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' example below, played up to eleven with Medaka remembering every single newspaper and their different editions.

* 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 to do anything to benefit the entity making the demands.