FrenchFaire un poisson d'avril
Meaning: To play an April Fools' prank on someone.
Literally: To make an April fish
Example: “Mes collègues m'ont fait un poisson d'avril en annonçant que le bureau fermait.” — My coworkers pulled an April Fools' prank on me by announcing that the office was closing.
Origin: Poisson d'avril first appears in 1466, in a work by Pierre Michault, where it meant a go-between who carried love letters; its use for the traditional April 1 hoax is attested only from 1691. Why a fish is uncertain: one theory ties it to the 16th-century move of New Year's Day from around April to January 1, another to April falling at the end of Lent, when fish was the required food.
More French idioms
- Être une girouette Being inconsistent, constantly changing opinions or allegiances.
- Avoir le compas dans l'œil Having excellent judgment of distance, measurement, or proportion.
- Faire la soupe à la grimace To sulk; to give someone a sour, unwelcoming face, especially at home.
- Montrer les dents Displaying aggression, defiance, or readiness to fight.
- Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre Taking more food than one can actually eat; wanting too much.
- Être un ours Being unfriendly, grumpy, and difficult to approach socially.
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- Tel est pris qui croyait prendre Those who set traps for others often fall into them themselves.
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