April Fool’s Day: Fun Facts and ASL Puns

April Fool’s Day is a day filled with laughter, jokes, and a bit of harmless fun. Celebrated on the first of April, this day is loved by pranksters and jokesters alike. But how did it all begin? Let’s dive into the history and some fun facts about April Fool’s Day before we talk about ASL puns. 

The History of April Fool’s Day

The origins of April Fool’s Day are a bit unclear, but many believe it dates back to the 16th century. One popular theory suggests that it began in 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian calendar, the new year began on April 1st. However, with the calendar switch, the new year was moved to January 1st. Some people, either unaware of the change or refusing to accept it, continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st. These people became the butt of jokes and pranks, earning the nickname “April fools.”

April Fool’s Day Traditions

April Fool’s Day is celebrated in many countries, each with its own unique customs and traditions. In France, April 1st is known as “Poisson d’Avril,” which means “April Fish.” Children tape paper fish to their friends’ backs and shout “Poisson d’Avril!” when the prank is discovered. In the United Kingdom, pranks are only played until noon, and anyone who plays a joke after that time is considered the fool.

Famous April Fool’s Day Jokes

Throughout history, there have been some memorable April Fool’s Day jokes. In 1957, the BBC aired a segment showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees, which fooled many viewers. In 1996, Taco Bell announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell,” causing a stir among the public.

Another way to joke around is with Puns

Puns add an element of surprise, creativity, and humor to language, which is why they’re so enjoyable!

1. Wordplay: Puns tap into the fun of language itself. They make us think about words differently, showing how versatile and playful language can be.
2. Surprise: Puns often involve a double meaning or a twist at the end, which catches us off guard. This element of surprise triggers amusement.
3. Cleverness: They make us appreciate creativity in language. When done well, puns feel like little mental puzzles that give us a satisfying “aha!” moment.
4. Lightheartedness: Puns are often silly and not meant to be taken seriously, so they bring a sense of fun and playfulness to conversations.

Puns in ASL

There is no official sign for the word “pun”. In ASL you can spell the word out #P-U-N.Puns in sign language work similarly to puns in spoken language, but they rely on visual elements and the use of signs that have multiple meanings or resemble other signs. Since sign language is a visual and spatial language, puns in sign language often play with the shape, movement, or location of signs to create a humorous or double meaning.

Here are a few ways puns can appear in sign language:

1. Visual similarity: Some signs look similar to other signs but have different meanings. For example, one sign might look like another but convey a different concept, creating a play on visual resemblance.
2. Double meaning: Some signs have more than one meaning, depending on context, and can be used to create a pun. This is similar to how some words in spoken languages can have multiple meanings.
3. Facial expressions: In sign language, facial expressions play a key role in adding meaning to signs. A pun can involve exaggerating or altering facial expressions to create humor, adding a layer of wordplay.
4. Iconicity: Some signs are iconic, meaning they visually represent the concept they signify. A pun may arise if two iconic signs are combined or if the sign takes on an unexpected or exaggerated form.

Just like with verbal puns, the context and delivery are crucial in making the pun clear to the audience. Puns in sign language can be an entertaining and creative way of using the language’s visual nature to create humor. In ASL, there aren’t as many as there are in English, but there are a few that are more commonly known in the Deaf Community. See if you know any of these:

Understand

You take the sign for “stand” and you do not move your non-dominant hand. Now  flip your dominant hand upside down and place the standing person upside down. You are now standing under your hand, hence the sign “under-stand”.

Misunderstand

You are going to sign it similar to the pun “understand”but your dominant hand will miss your hand. Your dominant hand will go under your hand and miss it, hence “miss-understand”.

El Paso

Make the “L” shape with your dominant hand and the “O” shape with your non-dominant hand, both out in front of you. Now move your dominant hand forward so that the “L” goes “past” the “O”.

Underwear

Start with the sign for “where” with your dominant hand. Then take your non-dominant hand and make a flat hand, with your palm down. Now sign “where” under your palm and you get “under-where”.

Paterized Milk

Start with the sign “milk” with your dominant hand. Now move your hand across your body, in front of your face. The “milk” is moving “pasted your eyes”.

Game face/ Get your head in the game

Start with the sign “game”. Now place one hand of each sides of your cheeks. Now you have a “gameface”. Another version of this would be to “get your face in the game”.

Microwave

Start with your dominant hand and sign the letter “I”. Now wave your pinky. This is a “micro-wave”.

The more ASL you learn, the more you can use puns to use the language in different ways. 

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