[CQ-Contest] The origin of Poisson d'Avril

[Zack Widup]

" What do you call someone who’s fallen for a prank? There’s no punchline
here — in most English-speaking places, you’d probably just call them
gullible. But in France, you might use the term *poisson d’avril, meaning
“April fish.*” The centuries-old name is linked to a 1508 poem by
Renaissance composer and writer Eloy d’Amerval, who used the phrase to
describe the springtime spawn of fish as the easiest to catch; young and
hungry April fish were considered more susceptible to hooks than older fish
swimming around at other times of year. Today, celebrating “April fish” in
France — as well as Belgium, Canada, and Italy — is akin to April Fools’
Day elsewhere, complete with pranks; one popular form of foolery includes
taping paper fish on the backs of the unsuspecting"

Zack W9SZ