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Lethal Letter Opener

 Lethal Letter Opener
type
FeatureClass
 Lethal Letter Opener
label
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener
page
LethalLetterOpener
 Lethal Letter Opener
comment
In real life, letter openers are designed for opening envelopes and nothing else. They're wide and blunt, can be made of anything from wood to metal to plastic, and are rarely sharpened, since no one wants to cut themselves opening their mail. In the world of fiction, however, letter openers come in one variety: metal, sharpened, and conveniently placed. If one is seen, it's nearly always for use as a weapon, with opening mail being a distant second. In truly gratuitous circumstances, it might be an Absurdly Sharp Blade. Some might use it as a Hidden Weapon for circumstances when carrying a knife would be inadvisable.
This can be Truth in Television, as letter openers have been used in murders and attempted murders. As noted in the real-life section below, however, these letter openers were usually sharpened beforehand.
Often a Sub-Trope of Improvised Weapon, Absurdly Sharp Blade and Conveniently Placed Sharp Thing. May serve as a Chastity Dagger. Compare Shear Menace and Combat Haircomb for other forms of improvised blades.
 Lethal Letter Opener
fetched
2023-11-06T14:45:26Z
 Lethal Letter Opener
parsed
2023-11-06T14:45:26Z
 Lethal Letter Opener
processingComment
Dropped link to OlderThanRadio: Not an Item - CAT
 Lethal Letter Opener
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_1463a028
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_1463a028
comment
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The episode "Ridicule" has a male stripper being raped by three powerful women, one of them threatening to kill him with a letter opener. The defense attorney gives him nothing but grief, while some of the men in the squad are skeptical, Cragen, Olivia, and Alex all point out that his panic was valid and fear is a natural response.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_1463a028
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_1463a028
featureConfidence
1.0
 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_1463a028
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_22e860f4
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_22e860f4
comment
In the Psych episode "Office Space" a certain Mean Boss yells at his secretary and throws a letter opener at her. That same letter opener is later used to kill him. She's not the killer, it was just some Laser-Guided Karma on his part.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_22e860f4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_22e860f4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Psych
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_22e860f4
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_23904eeb
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_23904eeb
comment
A letter opener was sometimes a suspected weapon in the game show Cluedo.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_23904eeb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_23904eeb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Cluedo
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_23904eeb
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_25c9a323
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_25c9a323
comment
The Negotiationsverse: In the Choice chapter "Abolition," after the Equestrian Freedom Fighters have failed to steal the Scroll of Ascension, Dusty Pages reveals her true colors as a traitor and the EFF's informant by trying to stab Twilight in the neck with a letter opener when her back is turned. Twilight simply grabs the tool using her telekinesis, slams Dusty into a nearby book cart, and has her arrested.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_25c9a323
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_25c9a323
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Negotiations-verse (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_25c9a323
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_261c8d3f
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_261c8d3f
comment
Discussed in the The Simpsons episode, "Trash of the Titans"; when Homer wins the election for Sanitation Commissioner against Ray Patterson by making wild promises, the latter is forced to clean out his office. When Homer and Patterson next meet, Patterson tells Homer "If I hadn't already packed my letter opener, I'd give you such a stabbing!"
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_261c8d3f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_261c8d3f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Simpsons
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_261c8d3f
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_2e27d368
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_2e27d368
comment
Naked Killer: Kitty's first onscreen kill as an amateur assassin in her target Mr. Bee's office has her being held down by a mook while Bee tries to rape her; but in the struggle, Kitty managed to grab a nearby letter opener and stab the mook's jugular, before shoving her weapon into Mr. Bee's crotch.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_2e27d368
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_2e27d368
featureConfidence
1.0
 Naked Killer
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_2e27d368
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_32be65b1
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_32be65b1
comment
A Dovahkiin Spreads His Wings: Cersei Lannister stabs her father Tywin to death with a letter opener to the heart in order to consolidate her coup of King's Landing.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_32be65b1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_32be65b1
featureConfidence
1.0
 A Dovahkiin Spreads His Wings (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_32be65b1
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_49ad83ee
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_49ad83ee
comment
World of Warcraft: Lampshaded by an archaeology project, a Highborne letter opener, which notes such items were largely useless except as a weapon of last resort in situations where one isn't allowed to carry a dagger.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_49ad83ee
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_49ad83ee
featureConfidence
1.0
 World of Warcraft (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_49ad83ee
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_60752fe5
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_60752fe5
comment
A letter opener is one of the many weapons available in The Ship: Murder Party.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_60752fe5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_60752fe5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Ship: Murder Party (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_60752fe5
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_615131da
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_615131da
comment
Richmond in Absolute Power (1997) gets this twice, once by Christy when he's trying to rape her, and fatally in the end.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_615131da
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_615131da
featureConfidence
1.0
 Absolute Power (1997)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_615131da
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6374dcbb
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6374dcbb
comment
Wendy Watson of The Middle Man got her job when she was attacked by a monster and responded by grabbing a letter opener and leaping at it.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6374dcbb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6374dcbb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Middleman
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_6374dcbb
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_63eff2b2
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_63eff2b2
comment
In Criminal Case: World Edition, a letter opener is the murder weapon in the final case.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_63eff2b2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_63eff2b2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Criminal Case: World Edition (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_63eff2b2
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6bf150d5
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6bf150d5
comment
Vow of Nudity: In one story, a slaver uses prestidigitation to summon a letter opener and slit the deuteragonist's throat, forcing the protagonist to fight her alone.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6bf150d5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_6bf150d5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Vow of Nudity (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_6bf150d5
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71b279b8
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71b279b8
comment
Whack Your Boss features this as one of the many methods of killing your aforementioned boss. Selecting the letter opener will see your employee player character plunge it into the boss's stomach; at which point his guts will spill out. This is followed by the employee then stabbing the boss in the throat as a finishing move before he collapses on top of his own guts.
The Joe Cartoon Flash Game "The Boss" also incorporates the usage of letter openers in another title that revolves around hilariously abusing a boss. Unlike Whack Your Boss, however, the point behind the usage of letter openers is to use them in the lieu of throwing knives while the boss is helplessly strapped to a bullseye target. This is done in order to torture him with threats before you switch to more unconventional methods as a form of escalation that will ultimately get the job done for you.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71b279b8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71b279b8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whack Your... (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_71b279b8
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71eec877
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71eec877
comment
Lou of Brand New Cherry Flavor has a letter opener he calls "The Final Cut". Mary uses it to kill Code by stabbing him in the eye.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71eec877
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_71eec877
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brand New Cherry Flavor
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_71eec877
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_85eecea0
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_85eecea0
comment
In the anime of The Garden of Sinners, Mikiya stabs Alba in the shoulder with a letter opener. Unlike most examples of this trope, it's realistically too small and blunt to do real damage.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_85eecea0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_85eecea0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Garden of Sinners
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_85eecea0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_89f6bbe1
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_89f6bbe1
comment
In A Shot in the Dark, as part of his growing Sanity Slippage born from anger towards Clouseau's stupidity, Commissioner Dreyfus starts accidentally injuring himself shortly after taking Clouseau off the Gambrelli case, twice, forcing him to reinstate Clouseau while he's getting his injuries treated. First, he accidentally cuts off his thumb with a cigarette guillotine, and then later, he's walking around with a letter opener whilst ranting about Clouseau's incompetence being the only reason M. Ballon wants him on the case to cover up his affair with murder suspect Maria Gambrelli, only to cross his arms in exasperation, forgetting about the letter opener until he's already stabbed himself with it. Taking it very calmly, Dreyfus immediately phones Clouseau to put him back on the case, whilst getting his wound plastered and bandaged over.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_89f6bbe1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_89f6bbe1
featureConfidence
1.0
 A Shot in the Dark
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_89f6bbe1
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8bd3842a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8bd3842a
comment
Hitman: The letter opener is one of many melee weapons that can be found in the World of Assassination Trilogy. Strangely, the letter opener is considered an illegal item, and openly carrying one will be treated the same as if Agent 47 were holding an actual knife or gun, even though it's no more or less lethal than other obtainable household items like screwdrivers or scissors.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8bd3842a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8bd3842a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Hitman (Franchise)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_8bd3842a
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8dfbdff2
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8dfbdff2
comment
In the Law & Order episode "Big Bang", a woman tries to open a package with a letter opener, and it explodes, flinging the letter opener into her neck. A technician later puts it down to bad luck: the bomb itself wasn't powerful enough to kill her, but the letter opener was.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8dfbdff2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_8dfbdff2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Law & Order
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_8dfbdff2
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_9842b0d3
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_9842b0d3
comment
In Dog Soldiers, a woman gives her fiance a sharp, silver letter opener to celebrate his new promotion, saying "Every knight should have a sword". At the climax, Cooper finds it with his body and stabs Ryan with it, removing his invulnerability so he can finish him with a headshot.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_9842b0d3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_9842b0d3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dog Soldiers
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_9842b0d3
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_b5a087d7
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_b5a087d7
comment
Robot Chicken: In the skit "Office Kombat", when Jim faces Nancy as his opponent, he kills her with a letter opener in the eye.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_b5a087d7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_b5a087d7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Robot Chicken
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_b5a087d7
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_c61253f6
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_c61253f6
comment
Chris stabs Missy in the eye with a letter opener in Get Out (2017).
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_c61253f6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_c61253f6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Get Out (2017)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_c61253f6
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_cdae0b41
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_cdae0b41
comment
Forever: At the end of "Skinny Dipper" when Clark Walker, who Henry believes to be his immortal stalker at the time, confronts Henry in his home, Henry refuses to fight him until he hears his son coming home upstairs and fears for Abe's safety. At that point they get into a desperate fight, and Henry winds up grabbing a letter opener from his desk to use in self-defense. Being a medical examiner, he knows exactly where to stab Walker in order to kill him intending that he disappear and reappear far away. Henry is horrified when it actually leaves him just plain dead instead.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_cdae0b41
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_cdae0b41
featureConfidence
1.0
 Forever (2014)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_cdae0b41
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d0c75992
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d0c75992
comment
In the Inspector Morse episode "Service of All the Dead", one of the victims is stabbed with a crucifix-shaped letter opener.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d0c75992
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d0c75992
featureConfidence
1.0
 Inspector Morse
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_d0c75992
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d6f9b009
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d6f9b009
comment
The Bolt Chronicles: In "The Murder Mystery," the Director is killed when he is tripped up by a strung piece of rope and falls onto a letter opener standing blade-up on the floor.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d6f9b009
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d6f9b009
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bolt Chronicles (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_d6f9b009
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d7812c17
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d7812c17
comment
At Dead of Night: A letter opener is sharpened to use against Harvey, which resulted in him bleeding out at the backstage, with his death being ruled out as an act of self-defense rather than murder.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d7812c17
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_d7812c17
featureConfidence
1.0
 At Dead of Night (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_d7812c17
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_dc4d1236
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_dc4d1236
comment
In The Finishing School Series, Mademoiselle Geraldine's girls are trained in hidden weapons, with a sharpened letter opener being among them. Sophronia uses it to check the basket of her airdinghy by stabbing through the wicker.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_dc4d1236
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_dc4d1236
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Finishing School Series
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_dc4d1236
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e293455a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e293455a
comment
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Subverted, when Giles is turned into a demon, Buffy stabs him with a letter opener. He's fine.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e293455a
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e293455a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_e293455a
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e339dde3
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e339dde3
comment
Elements of Justice has a letter opener being used as the murder weapon for case 2. Except actually not; the corpse was stabbed after the murder to implicate Sugar Stamp. Somehow the perpetrator managed to get said letter opener through his skull, something that would be difficult for many actual knives.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e339dde3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e339dde3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Elements of Justice (Web Animation)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_e339dde3
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e64a6382
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e64a6382
comment
In Arknights, Natalya (Operator Rosa) keeps a letter opener from her noble family's mansion as a memento. It's sharp enough that she uses it to self-harm in conjunction with suicidal ideation. The day she decides to step out of the shadow of her past, she gives the letter opener to the Doctor as a pledge to move forward.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e64a6382
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_e64a6382
featureConfidence
1.0
 Arknights (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_e64a6382
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_eef69f10
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_eef69f10
comment
Sherlock Holmes: In "The Golden Pince-Nez", Holmes quickly guesses that a professor's secretary was stabbed through the heart with a letter opener by unfortunate accident: as the murderer lost their titular high-strength glasses in a struggle against him, they must have grabbed the first thing to hand and swung blindly. He also deduces the professor is hiding the murderer, who emerges to confirm Holmes' assertions, says she took poison, and asks that they finish the job: stealing back letters that would free a political prisoner in Russia. Holmes does so.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_eef69f10
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_eef69f10
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sherlock Holmes
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_eef69f10
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f04453e7
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f04453e7
comment
Breakdown has Jeff cut through his bonds and fight with a letter opener he pilfered from a bank. He was bound with duct tape, making it somewhat plausible that a letter opener could do the job.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f04453e7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f04453e7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Breakdown
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_f04453e7
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f2041376
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f2041376
comment
In Charmed (1998), Prue stabs an attacker in her dream with a letter opener. When she wakes up, the blood is still there.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f2041376
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_f2041376
featureConfidence
1.0
 Charmed (1998)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_f2041376
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_faf84cd
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_faf84cd
comment
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines: Prince LaCroix has a letter opener on his desk throughout the game. Unless you side with him, you grab it in the ending cutscene and demonstrate your displeasure in him via a Slashed Throat and Agonizing Stomach Wound. Being a vampire, he survives, but it takes the fight out of him.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_faf84cd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_faf84cd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (Video Game)
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_faf84cd
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_fcf43f47
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_fcf43f47
comment
Fighting Fantasy: House of Hell has you starting the story unarmed, with your SKILL at a malus. Picking up knives or sticks can add either two or three points to your SKILL tally, but in one room you can obtain an ornate letter opener that boosts your SKILL to its maximum.
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_fcf43f47
featureApplicability
1.0
 Lethal Letter Opener / int_fcf43f47
featureConfidence
1.0
 Fighting Fantasy
hasFeature
Lethal Letter Opener / int_fcf43f47

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Lethal Letter Opener
processingCategory2
Improvised Index
 Lethal Letter Opener
processingCategory2
Stealth Tropes
 Lethal Letter Opener
processingCategory2
Weapons and Wielding Tropes
 The Bolt Chronicles (Fanfic) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 The Negotiations-verse (Fanfic) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Vow of Nudity (Fanfic) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Breakdown / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Dog Soldiers / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 The Strange Thing About the Johnsons / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 House of Hell / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 The Finishing School Series / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 The Song Rising / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Darwin's Soldiers (Roleplay) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Forever (2014) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Inspector Morse / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener
 Elements of Justice (Web Animation) / int_4d21cd9a
type
Lethal Letter Opener