Apr 1 2023 - April Fool's Etiquette

 

The year's April Fools' Pranks happen like New Year's.  There's a wave around the world as the day blossoms and the pranks unfold.  I guess there is some etiquette - making fun of one's own brand and not the competition.  Here's how Australia did so far this year:  "Royal Caribbean International unveiled a new Australian-only “Quantum Class” ship called Crikey of the Seas, with features including a cricket field, BBQs on the balcony suites, and cocktails including Vegemite mojitos, lamington mudslides, fairy bread margaritas and a pavlova spritz. "The beloved ice cream brand announced their Giant Twins ice cream was getting a new flavour: Sweet Spiced Gherkins. “When you bite in, you’ll experience a tangy and pickled flavour explosion, teamed perfectly with Giant Twins’ signature choc coating,” their social media post said. “Hurry, this is a limited release only and when stocks are gone, they’re gone!” "No longer just a doughnut store, Krispy Kreme unveiled an ambitious plan to open a series of fine dining restaurants across the state, combining their delicious pastries with high-end ingredients such as lobster, caviar and Wagyu beef. “Culinary perfection meets Krispy Kreme confection,” their post said. Moving on to Britain, there must be some Harry and Meghan pranks.  Well, so far only one that has made the top spot on the headlines in Britain.  I guess the etiquette of not making fun of others goes out the window there: "The Sun have gone all-in on their prank this year which is a report on a Prince Harry and Meghan Markle video game in the style of Grand Theft Auto. The 'game' called 'Harry and Meghan: Call of Duke-y' has been mocked up with realistic looking video game graphics and is apparently due for a release in May - just a week before the King's coronation." Let's see what the US does as the day progresses.  They have a lot of Fools to make Pranks of.  And etiquette does not rule there. Here's one of my favourite flowers - a Fritillaria.  I've given it a background in keeping with its colourful square pattern.  Who would guess this is real? Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

April 1st 2021 - Foolish Fish Day!

 

What do you do for Aril Fool's Day? Do children do things at school?  We adults don't seem to do much anymore.   However, major product brands do things every year, and we reported on them last year.  This year I found an April Fool's Quiz from the Guardian, and it is most entertaining.   Here's my favourite question: In 1972 researchers claimed to have found the body of the Loch Ness monster. What, in fact, was it? A dead bull elephant seal  A prop left over from filming the Doctor Who Terror of the Zygons serial, which was set around Loch Ness  The results of a local school craft project  A giant eel    This particular April Fool's joke has been told a number of ways - the first is via News:  DUNFERMLINE, Scotland. April 1 1972 (AP)—The director of an English zoo said a young scientist explained today that a private joke had set off police chase through Scotland in search of the Loch Ness monster. Don Robertson, director of the Flamingo.Park Zoo in Scarborough, reported that the zoo's education officer, John Shields, had given him statement saying that he had tried to hoax a few friends on April Fool's Day, which happens to be Mr. Shield's 23d birthday, The joke was to dump frozen bull elephant seal in Loch Ness for seven monsterhunting colleagues to find, the statement said. But it got out of hand yesterday when the team tried to rush their discovery back to the zoo on England's northeast coast. The police chased their truck, slopped it and brought the “monster” to this Fifeshiro County town where two scientists identified it as a),South Atlantic seal. The second version is a much longer and more entertaining rendition HERE.     Our picture today was taken at the Ringling Museum - it was a beautiful wall mural of all the famous clowns.   Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

And Then April Arrives

Which is it?  April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day.  Grammars.com tells me that it is plural possessive, and that the singular is a variant spelling.  I figured that it must be plural.  However, the usage is split evenly for each spelling.   What is the earliest reference? There is a dispute over Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1392) reference to "Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two." The discussion is whether Chaucer meant this to be April 1st or whether it was a copying error. In 1508, French poet Eloy d'Amerval referred to a "poisson d'avril." There we have it - the expression used in France and other European countries.  In the past, the idea was to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. In the U.K. the holiday 'ceases' at noon, according to Wikipedia. One can be called a 'fool', 'noodle', 'gob', 'gobby' or 'noddy' in England.  That's a lot of choices.  Other countries consider April Fools' jokes to finish by noon. After that they are considered inappropriate and not classy. Here's a preview of how outrageous April Fools' jokes have been: "I never did anything wrong, and I won't do it again," said former President Richard Nixon, announcing that he would run for president in 1992." National Public Radio’s piece on Nixon’s 1992 presidential run is one of its most famous April Fools’ Day pranks. Not only did people believe it, they were outraged. Here's today's image.

April Fool's Easter

Do you remember Easter Sunday and April Fool's Day occurring on the same day? It occurred together in 1956, this year 2018, and next in 2029. With the Easter Bunny taking over the secular part of Easter, we should be able to see some April Fool's Easter Eggs. Instead of Easter Candy Carrots? Chocolate covered brussel sprout cake pops. What about Niagara Grape eggs?  Cover grapes in coloured foil to look like chocolates. Easter Eggs in colours - hollow out egg shells and fill with jello Chocolate bunnys?  Fill them with mustard. Pinterest has visual delights for Easter - jello easter eggs, glow eggs, shaving cream easter eggs, for us adults, bunny money, and then the toilet joke - jelly beans.  Here are two for April Fool's Day.        In the purist world of April Fool's here's boredpanda.com for some ideas. These pranks come with a final score - check out the first one - insects on lamps.  They were a 154 score - right on top and lowest work effort.