# April Fools' Day tricks - after midday? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483 "2008-04-01T04:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/1 "2008-04-01T04:10:30Z")
Someone in the office pulled an - admittedly quite humorous - April Fools’ Day trick a little while ago. But naturally we all howled her down with “it’s after midday. You’re the fool”. She’s a Canadian doing some work experience here and said that she’d never heard of the “not after midday” business. Do any other countries also have this restriction on April Fools’ Day pranks? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/2 "2008-04-01T04:32:08Z")
Native American, err, Native United States of American (how about Texan?) here and I haven’t heard of that particular clause ever in reference to April Fools’ Day. Strange. ---
**Author:** ![Salmo\_Trutta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Salmo\_Trutta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salmo_Trutta)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/3 "2008-04-01T04:39:08Z")
Native Hoosier American here. I’ve never heard it either. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/4 "2008-04-01T04:45:17Z")
Canadian, and I have heard it. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/5 "2008-04-01T04:48:05Z")
Grew up in Canada, now living in the States. Never heard of it in either location. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/6 "2008-04-01T05:02:24Z")
I think it’s your fault for having April Fool’s Day so much earlier than the rest of us. We’re only 1 minute into here, in God’s Own Timezone (US CDT). ---
**Author:** ![Grendel\_s\_Father](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grendel\_s\_Father](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grendel_s_Father)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/7 "2008-04-01T05:03:54Z")
Somebody mentioned it in my office earlier today. Must be an Aussie thing. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/8 "2008-04-01T05:05:29Z")
Native Southerner (USA) here, never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/9 "2008-04-01T06:02:42Z")
It’s well known here in Britiain. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/10 "2008-04-01T06:42:13Z")
British - it’s commonly known. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/11 "2008-04-01T06:51:04Z")
Never heard it. This was always our day after taunt: April Fools is gone and past and you’re the biggest fool at last! By the way, your shoe is untied. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/12 "2008-04-01T07:43:12Z")
Ive never heard it, I’ve lived all over America. But it’s a bad clause ,I gotta say. Why would anyone decide to try to limit the fun time of one of the funnest days of the year? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/13 "2008-04-01T07:51:31Z")
[QUOTE=Dahu] It’s well known here in Britiain. [/QUOTE] Agree, although it’s also widely flouted here in Britain - evening programmes on television have [famously](http://www.thefoolsday.com/bbc-hoaxes.html) perpetrated April Fools pranks. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/14 "2008-04-01T07:51:50Z")
Grew up in Texas and have lived in New Mexico and Hawaii. Never heard of no April Fool’s Day tricks after midday. Or Hey! Is the OP doing an April Fool’s Day hoax on us? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/15 "2008-04-01T07:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Agree, although it’s also widely flouted here in Britain - evening programmes on television have [famously](http://www.thefoolsday.com/bbc-hoaxes.html) perpetrated April Fools pranks. [/QUOTE] I didn’t click on your link, but could it be a spaghetti harvest? I liked some of the BMW hoaxes - like the “BMW Badge Wiper” - if you’re driving a classy car like a Beemer, you don’t want the badge obscured by mud and general road grime. ---
**Author:** ![Chew\_Barker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Chew\_Barker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chew_Barker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/16 "2008-04-01T08:01:33Z")
Another Brit that has heard of and practices the midday rule. Check out the flying penguin exclusive on the [BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/) today. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/17 "2008-04-01T11:05:49Z")
I have never heard it - PA, USA ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/18 "2008-04-01T11:09:37Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] British - it’s commonly known. [/QUOTE] Likewise. I got a mild wrist-slapping for sending a spoof e-mail round the office this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/19 "2008-04-01T11:14:57Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] I didn’t click on your link, but could it be a spaghetti harvest? [/QUOTE] That one is top of the list on the page I linked. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483/20 "2008-04-01T11:16:06Z")
[QUOTE=Chew Barker] Another Brit that has heard of and practices the midday rule. Check out the flying penguin exclusive on the [BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/) today. [/QUOTE] They’ve moved it off that page. Still viewable here: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/epeng001.shtml?src=ip\_potpw](http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/epeng001.shtml?src=ip_potpw) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-fools-day-tricks-after-midday/443483.md?page=2)