poisson d'avril
French edit
Etymology edit
Literally, “April fish”. Compare Italian pesce d'aprile, Portuguese peixe de abril. From the practical joke played on April Fools', of pinning a fish to the back of a person.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
poisson d’avril m (plural poissons d’avril)
- April fool (an April Fool's Day joke)
- 1843, Théodore de Jolimont, "Monologie du mois d'avril", in L'Art en Provence, vol. 7, section IV (unnumbered page).
- Ces poissons d’avril qui font grincer les dents, maugréer et maudire, et que dame Justice n’épargne guère aux incorrigibles plaideurs;
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1843, Théodore de Jolimont, "Monologie du mois d'avril", in L'Art en Provence, vol. 7, section IV (unnumbered page).
- April fool (a person subjected to an April Fool's Day joke)
- paper fish pinned to someone's back as a traditional April Fool's Day joke
Descendants edit
- → Dutch: aprilvis (calque)