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String-on-Finger Reminder
- 137 statements
- 25 feature instances
- 14 referencing feature instances
| String-on-Finger Reminder | type |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder | label |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | page |
StringOnFingerReminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | comment |
If someone wants to remember to do something, they'll tie some string around a finger and keep it there until after they've done it. The string can work because seeing the string will make them remember why they put it there. However, one way to play with this trope is for the person to forget anyway and then try to figure out what they tied the string on there for. Likely to be used by Forgetful Jones or an Absent-Minded Professor. This trope was especially prevalent in the days before computers, but now that computers are portable and do a much better job of reminding you than this old method, this is a mostly Forgotten Trope. This has nothing to do with Strangled by the Red String or Red String of Fate, which are both about relationships. See also Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!. Examples |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder | fetched |
2024-04-04T16:08:06Z | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | parsed |
2024-04-04T16:08:06Z | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | processingComment |
Dropped link to BoxAndStickTrap: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | processingComment |
Dropped link to ForgetfulJones: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to LiteralCliffhanger: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to Rugrats1991: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
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Rugrats1991 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1b386512 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1b386512 | comment |
An episode of the Ranma ½ Animated Adaptation involves Akane helping Ryoga study so he can take a test and obtain his high school diploma (his absurd amounts of No Sense of Direction, obsession with getting Ranma (which made him wander the world) and being Book Dumb all conspired against him), but being so obsessed with clobbering Ranma and the fact Ranma is constantly pestering him because he's spending time with Akane, the poor girl forces him to promise not to fight and ties a neckerchief around his hand (a Japanese version of this trope) as a reminder. At the end of the episode in a moment that makes Ryoga burst out in Manly Tears, he decides he's too dumb and vengeance-obsessed to be able to keep his promise and follow through with what he wanted, takes off the kerchief, and wanders away. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1b386512 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1b386512 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ranma ½ (Manga) | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1b386512 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1f418bf4 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1f418bf4 | comment |
In the TaleSpin episode, "A Jolly Molly Christmas", when Molly breaks her last candy cane, Baloo tries to cheer her up by telling her about the Peppermint Fairy, who leaves new candy canes in place of old ones under childrens' pillows. He ties a string around his finger to help him remember to put a new candy cane under Molly's pillow, but the next morning, he sees the string and realizes he forgot. When he tries to put the new candy cane under Molly's pillow, Molly awakens and accuses Baloo of lying to her. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1f418bf4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1f418bf4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| TaleSpin | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_1f418bf4 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_223d85a9 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_223d85a9 | comment |
Referenced in Summer Knight, the fourth Dresden Files book. To protect Murphy from a magical fog that causes forgetfulness, Harry casts a protective charm using a string tied around her finger as the focus, because of its symbolic association with memory. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_223d85a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_223d85a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Summer Knight | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_223d85a9 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2350acad | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2350acad | comment |
The Cheers episode where Cliff went into the hospital had the gang miss a chance to visit him. Sam was busy and Norm claimed to feel nauseous when he entered a hospital. Woody, on the other hand, tied a string around his finger to remember and forgot why he tied it. However, we never find out what he tied the other string for. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2350acad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2350acad | featureConfidence |
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| Cheers | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2350acad | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_261c8d3f | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_261c8d3f | comment |
The Simpsons: At the beginning of "Moe'N'a Lisa", Homer wakes up to find a string around his finger, among other reminders that he has to remember something. To his annoyance, Marge tells the family that they're going to see Grampa compete in the Senior Olympics. But actually, Homer promised Moe he'd go fishing with him. Subverted in the episode "Brother's Little Helper"; Homer is supposed to be looking for Bart (who's gone insane after taking an experimental ADD medication) but is instead at Moe's. When Marge confronts him, he tells Marge "I'm on top of it" and shows a string tied to his finger, thus implying that it's a reminder string. It's revealed as being a really long string with the other end attached to a Box-and-Stick Trap with a jar of Bart's medication underneath. |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_261c8d3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Simpsons | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_261c8d3f | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2e6e838 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2e6e838 | comment |
A couple of 1960s Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercials has Yogi Bear tying a string on his finger, telling the viewer "Don't forget to get thumb!" | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2e6e838 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2e6e838 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Yogi Bear | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_2e6e838 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_42997d39 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_42997d39 | comment |
In the Max and Ruby episode "Max Remembers", Ruby sees a string tied on Max's finger and assumes that he needs to remember something. She spends the episode trying to help him remember it, only to discover that the string was actually for his yo-yo. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_42997d39 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_42997d39 | featureConfidence |
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| MaxAndRuby | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_42997d39 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_46518682 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_46518682 | comment |
A Bert and Ernie sketch on Sesame Street has Bert arriving home to find that Ernie has string tied around all ten of his fingers. Pointing at the first finger, Bert asks what the string on that finger is for. Ernie replies that it is to remind that he has a string on the next finger. Bert then asks him what that string is for, and Ernie says it is to remind him he has a string on the next finger. This proceeds through all of Ernie's fingers until they reach the last one. When a very exasperated Bert asks him what that string is for, Ernie says it is to remind him to buy more string. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_46518682 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_46518682 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Sesame Street | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_46518682 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_4ed15aed | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_4ed15aed | comment |
In House of Many Ways, Peter needs to tie different colours of string to his fingers because he can't remember left from right. Then he appears with several strings around almost all of his fingers in order to navigate the titular House. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_4ed15aed | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_4ed15aed | featureConfidence |
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| House of Many Ways | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_4ed15aed | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_50bcf7a6 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_50bcf7a6 | comment |
Jade Harley of Homestuck ties several colored strings around her fingers, each of which reminds her of a different thing. She removes most of them much later when the absurdity of SBURB makes them pointless. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_50bcf7a6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_50bcf7a6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Homestuck (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_50bcf7a6 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7c038c18 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7c038c18 | comment |
Phineas and Ferb: In the episode "Tip of the Day", Phineas has everyone tie a shoelace string onto their fingers to spread awareness that the word for the tip at the end of a shoelace is an aglet. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7c038c18 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7c038c18 | featureConfidence |
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| Phineas and Ferb | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7c038c18 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7d122312 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7d122312 | comment |
In the The Flintstones episode "Dino Disappears", Wilma made Fred wear a string on his finger to remember to get a present for Dino; however, he forgets who he was supposed to buy a present for, so he instead buys toys for Pebbles, causing Dino to run away. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7d122312 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7d122312 | featureConfidence |
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| The Flintstones | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_7d122312 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_884bcbd0 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_884bcbd0 | comment |
In "Down Woodpecker's Memory Lane" from My Friends Tigger & Pooh, when Woodpecker calls the Super Sleuths, they discover that he has a pink ribbon tied around his foot. As it turns out, it's to help him remember that he has a problem for them to solve. Thing is, he says it's too hot for him to remember what the problem is, so they have to figure out what it is before they can help him solve it. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_884bcbd0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_884bcbd0 | featureConfidence |
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| My Friends Tigger & Pooh | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_884bcbd0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_8ad918d7 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_8ad918d7 | comment |
In "It's All In Your Head" from Bear in the Big Blue House, Bear has a bunch of strings on his paws. One is to remind him to tell the kids of the Big Blue House that they're going to the fair, another is to remember to pack snacks, another to get a basket to put them in, and one to remember to clean up the house before they leave. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_8ad918d7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Bear in the Big Blue House | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_8ad918d7 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_976efc02 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_976efc02 | comment |
There was an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 where TV's Frank tries to remember who Merritt Stone is and he has strings all over his fingers. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_976efc02 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_976efc02 | featureConfidence |
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| Mystery Science Theater 3000 | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_976efc02 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_bd252462 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_bd252462 | comment |
In the The Book of Pooh episode, "Brain Drain", Eeyore has a string tied to his hoof to help him remember something, but he can't remember what it was. Eeyore's friends believe that Eeyore has a Brain Drain, and do everything in their grasp to jog his memory. At the end of the episode, Eeyore looks at the string, and remembers that he tied it to his hoof to help him remind Rabbit to pick his strawberries. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_bd252462 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_bd252462 | featureConfidence |
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| The Book of Pooh | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_bd252462 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_becd8e65 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_becd8e65 | comment |
In the Scaredy Squirrel book "Scaredy Squirrel at Night", it lists the symptoms of sleep deprivation. One of them is forgetfulness, which is illustrated with a picture of Scaredy with a string around a digit of his paw. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_becd8e65 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_becd8e65 | featureConfidence |
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| Scaredy Squirrel | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_becd8e65 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_c43df4d8 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_c43df4d8 | comment |
Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor uses this as a gag in "The Face of Evil", during a brief interim between Sarah Jane and Leela where he has no companion and talks to himself instead: | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_c43df4d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_c43df4d8 | featureConfidence |
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| Doctor Who | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_c43df4d8 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_dbb6bdf2 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_dbb6bdf2 | comment |
In the Mork & Mindy episode "Mork Runs Down", Mork ties a string around his neck and says that it's his species' way of remembering things. Mindy says that humans tie it around their fingers. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_dbb6bdf2 | featureApplicability |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_dbb6bdf2 | featureConfidence |
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| Mork & Mindy | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_dbb6bdf2 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_de00af4b | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_de00af4b | comment |
In "Forget It" from Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot, Grizzle uses his "Forget Me Ray" invention to cause the Care Bears to forget who he is so that he can easily enact his evil scheme to take over Care-a-Lot. Unfortunately for him, it's rather too powerful and it causes them to forget practically everything. He tries this as a way to keep them focused on what he wants them to do. However, shortly after this, a couple of them overhear him talking about what he did to Wingnut and so Funshine uses his as a distraction ("What did you say this string was for again?"), while Tenderheart gets the Forget Me Ray and uses it to reverse the effects on himself and Funshine. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_de00af4b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_de00af4b | featureConfidence |
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| Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_de00af4b | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_ea1a786f | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_ea1a786f | comment |
Monica's Gang: Used in a short Chuck Billy story, as pictured above. It starts with Chuck failing to remember why he tied a string around his finger in the first place, spending the whole day asking people if they had anything to do with it. He finally remembers what he had to do during bedtime, which was to save his best friend, who was in a Literal Cliffhanger the entire time. A Penadinho storyline has Frank trying to remember why he tied a string around his index finger. When he finally gives up and undoes the knot, his finger falls to the ground, reminding him that the string was only there to keep the severed limb in place. |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_ea1a786f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_ea1a786f | featureConfidence |
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| Monica's Gang (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_ea1a786f | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f120845f | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f120845f | comment |
Parodied in Kingdom of Loathing with the "invisible string" item — using it ties it around your character's finger, which the game admits "would probably remind you to do something if you could see it". | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f120845f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f120845f | featureConfidence |
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| Kingdom of Loathing (Video Game) | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f120845f | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f37f1b87 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f37f1b87 | comment |
Timothy Goes to School: In "Don't Lose It, Lilly," Forgetful Jones Lilly has one on her finger because Miss Jenkins, the teacher, says that it'll help her remember where she put her things. However, when Charles asks her if it works, she admits it hasn't yet. Later in the episode, as she and Charles are being drenched by a rainstorm, she remembers that it was to remind her to bring her umbrella. In "Having a Wonderful Time," Lilly ties a red ribbon around her finger to remind her to bring an extra blanket and a snack for the school field trip to Hilltop Park. Grace tells her that she needs more than that, but not to worry because she'll bring enough for everyone. That evening, as she talks with her mama before bed, she has a red ribbon around one of her fingers too. That morning, Lilly has the blanket and extra snack before getting on the bus, so her mama takes the ribbon off, complimenting her on her good remembering. |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f37f1b87 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Timothy Goes to School | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f37f1b87 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f57525ab | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f57525ab | comment |
In It's a Wonderful Life, forgetful Uncle Billy has string tied around multiple fingers. One finger is supposed to help him remember to talk to the bank examiner, but the audience doesn't find out what the other strings are for. | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f57525ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f57525ab | featureConfidence |
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| It's a Wonderful Life | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f57525ab | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f6f3a050 | type |
String-on-Finger Reminder | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f6f3a050 | comment |
In The Navy Lark Seaman "Fatso" Johnson once went around for an episode with a bit of string tied around his finger, unfortunately he couldn't remember tying it there so all it did was remind him he had forgotten something (at the end of the episode it was revealed: It was to remind him to buy string). | |
| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f6f3a050 | featureApplicability |
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| String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f6f3a050 | featureConfidence |
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| The Navy Lark (Radio) | hasFeature |
String-on-Finger Reminder / int_f6f3a050 |
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