History Main / TheIllegible

* In ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' this is a characteristic of Happosai. His handwriting (in Japanese, of course) is horrible and barely legible. So much that once, Happosai couldn't even read ''his own handwriting''.

* In ''[[{{Main/ptitlecnamih8dscnb}} I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'', Humph would rag on the producer Jon Naismith for his terrible handwriting, at one point claiming he needed to pin it up on a board and run past it to have any chance to understand it.

* [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]]: One time a teacher showed him an "obviously fake" parental note that Bart had turned in, but discovered that [[http://springfieldfiles.com/albums/notes/0244.JPG Homer's handwriting really was that poor.]]

A character depicted with terrible handwriting. Not just a couple of words that can't be made out here and there, but almost [[{{ThisIsSparta}} every. Single. Word.]] Will be impossible--or almost impossible--to read.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bad_Handwriting_8281.jpg

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This attribute is often associated with doctors [[hottip:* :[[http://www.bmj.com/archive/7072ww3.htm There are studies]] that show doctors do not write any more or less legibly than other professionals. The primary issue is most likely that any instances of doctors who do write poorly tend to have more significant consequences, especially for others, than the poor writing of some random schlub.]], lawyers and other professionals, as well as English teachers and secretaries.

* Happens a lot with [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Charlie]] in ''ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia''. Most of what he puts on paper can hardly even be considered writing — which makes sense, given that he's illiterate.

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** But still, they must get training for it at medical school. even ''vets'' suck at handwriting.

* It has been pointed out by Sophie and other characters that [[HowlsMovingCastle Howl]] cannot write in a way that another human being could read.

* In possibly the most memorable scene from WoodyAllen's ''Take The Money And Run'', [[StupidCrooks Virgil Starkwell's]] bank robbery is stalled when the tellers can't make out his robbery note:

* The problem with doctors is that misreading their handwriting can be a case of life or death. As a result, a number of health agencies are pushing for computerized medical records, charts and prescriptions for this and other reasons.

** There's a condition called "dysgraphia" which results in illegible handwriting without necessarily affecting intelligence or ability to read. Most dysgraphics are able to adjust by typing whatever they need to commit to paper, but this isn't always an option, forcing them to attempt to write by hand.

* Roman cursive, so illegible that it has become a fodder for ancient playwrights to mine jokes from

* The American dub of ''SailorMoon'' badly Americanized the series as a whole, but actually called the Japanese symbols written by Sailor Moon (Tsukino Usagi) herself "squiggly handwriting". In a way, this is actually faithful adaptation, because in the original Japanese version, Usagi has ''legitimately'' lousy handwriting in her native language. She either fails to use kanji, or uses the wrong ones.

* [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]]: One time a teacher showed him an "obviously fake" parental note that Bart had turned in, but discovered that Homer's handwriting really was that poor.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]]: One time a teacher showed him an "obviously fake" parental note that Bart had turned in, but discovered that Homer's handwriting really was that poor.
* An episode of ''TheWeekenders'' featured Carver attempting to send notes to Chum Bukkit [a band] in various ways. They read these as obscure new lyrics.
* {{Doug}} once lost his [[strike:diary]] journal in which he writes the events of every episode. It's picked up by [[TheBully Roger]], seemingly the worst person who could find it, but Roger gives it back unread, simply because he can't make out a word of Doug's handwriting.
* {{Chowder}} in the episode "Gazpacho Stands Up". Mung tells him to practice his penmanship, and after doing so, congratulates him... for somehow making it ''worse''.
* ''DanVs'' goes back and forth on this. Various characters have stated that Dan's handwriting is horrible, yet any time his writing actually shows up, it's [[InformedFlaw perfectly legible]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] (probably) in "The Salvation Armed Forces," where Chris reads a letter from Dan, including the illegible parts ("...even thrumyurg betrayed me, with your cowardice and flurgle..."), only for the letter to show up on screen, with the "illegible" parts clearly written out.

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* This was a ''HagarTheHorrible'' strip once. Hagar, who's illiterate, wishes he could read the prescription a doctor gave him. So does the pharmacist (or whatever he was, since he's in the Viking age).
* In one ''{{Blondie}}'' strip, Dagwood's handwriting is said to be so bad that a banker addressed him as "Doctor" when he left.

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* In ''ElGoonishShive'' Mr. Edward Verres [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-01-31 has]] "[[InkBlotTest Ink Blot]] handwriting", which isn't quite impossible to read, but no two people ever managed to read in the same way any part of his message, except its header in big letters. On the next page one of viewers muses aloud:
--> '''Justin:''' Maybe it's a ''map''?

[[AC:{{Radio}}]]
* In ''[[{{Main/ptitlecnamih8dscnb}} I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'', Humph would rag on the producer Jon Naismith for his terrible handwriting, at one point claiming he needed to pin it up on a board and run past it to have any chance to understand it.

* ''DanVs.'' goes back and forth on this. Various characters have stated that Dan's handwriting is horrible, yet any time his writing actually shows up, it's [[InformedFlaw perfectly legible]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] (probably) in "The Salvation Armed Forces," where Chris reads a letter from Dan, including the illegible parts ("...even thrumyurg betrayed me, with your cowardice and flurgle..."), only for the letter to show up on screen, with the "illegible" parts clearly written out.

* In ''{{Watchmen}}'', Rorschach writes his journal in almost illegible handwriting.

* {{Doug}} once lost his diary in which he writes the events of every episode. It's picked up by [[TheBully Roger]], seemingly the worst person who could find it, but Roger gives it back unread, simply because he can't make out a word of Doug's handwriting.