Meanings
nounransom note effect (plural ransom note effects)
plural ransom note effects
- artsThe unprofessional appearance of a document that uses too many different typefaces.
Origin
In reference of the practice of assembling ransom demands from letters cut out of newspapers, to conceal the sender's handwriting.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
ransom note effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ransom%20note%20effect
MLA
“ransom note effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ransom%20note%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ransom note effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ransom%20note%20effect.
Source: ransom note effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.