Nobody loves a good joke more than our Western department. They are infamous for their many pranks. Insomuch that when I joined Smith and Edwards I was even warned not to go over there on April Fool’s Day!
So in light of April Fool’s Day coming up I’m going to share with you some of their pranks that you might want to use for your own April Fool’s pranks!
Drop for Drinks
When you bring up the topic of past pranks in the Western department, there is one that seems to be revered over all, even honored. If they had a Hall of Fame prank board, this would be at the top. They call it Drop for Drinks.
For this “game” you need a quarter, a funnel, and what’s a good prank without ice-cold water.
Start by telling your “victim” the rules of the game. Entice him by telling him the loser buys drinks for everyone else. The idea behind the game is that you drop a quarter from your forehead in a funnel that you are holding up in the waist of your pants. When you make it in, you get to step out of the circle. The last one to catch his quarter buys drinks for everyone else. (I realize it sounds like you’d actually have to be drunk to play this game, but truth is, most our guys are water drinkers!)
Everyone gets in a circle and has a “practice round.” When it’s time for your “friend” to take his turn, wait for him to lean back to get his quarter ready. That’s the time to pour ice-cold water down his funnel. But watch out. After the shock wears off you may need to run! Can you picture why this is a Western department favorite?
Arachnophobia
This next prank they were laughing so hard I couldn’t always understand them! It involves a tarantula, a plastic container, and a co-worker with some serious arachnophobia.
One early morning Shaun came to work with a tarantula in a plastic container. Marty, their fearless leader, made a tarantula look-alike with a sheepskin for the body and dangling leather for the legs – all painted black. They tied it to an unsuspecting, unnamed co-worker’s work apron. (They manufacture leather tack for their wholesale department right here in our store.)
When the man came in to work, Shaun was holding the tarantula in its case, looking around frantically. The co-worker asked what was wrong and Shaun told him that when he came to work that morning there were two tarantulas in that box and now there was only one! You could see the other guy glancing around nervously. He carefully went to his workbench and reached for his apron while still scanning the area anxiously. As he went to put his apron on he saw the tarantula Marty had made dangling off his apron.
Now at this point in the story they are laughing so hard it’s hard to tell what they’re saying.
The poor man couldn’t stretch his arms out long enough to keep that apron away from him as he was screeching and backing up into the middle of the store. (We weren’t open yet so there were no customers to watch the scene, thank heavens!)
He realized it was a joke when he finally noticed everyone laughing. In the words of Marty, “That’s when he started breathing again.”
More Drink Than You Bargain For
The next two pranks show that you should never leave your drink unattended back in the Western department.
Next time you see a fast food drink sitting around, try this favorite trick! All you need is the cup with a straw and lid, a packet of Arby’s sauce (feel free to use Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or any other sauce you can find), and some tape.
While the owner is gone, take off the lid. Make a small slit in the Arby’s sauce so the straw can just fit through. Secure it to the straw with tape and replace it in the cup with the lid. When he comes back he’ll take a big swig and get a special surprise!
I love this one, but once again, you’ll need your running shoes on!
The Leaky Pop Can
Don’t let Marty get a hold of your pop can, or water bottle, or pretty much anything that you value.
Apparently he likes to use a razor blade to cut a horizontal slit about 1″ down from the rim, right below the drink opening. The “victim” doesn’t realize it’s there and when he drinks he dribbles all over himself!
Oreo Horseradish Cookies
The next three pranks are simply irresistible!
Start by gently taking off the top of your Oreo. Carefully scrape out the middle of the filling, leaving just a thin outer layer. Fill it in with horseradish sauce, or something similar.
Replace the top of your cookie and replace in the Oreo package. Now you are ready to serve your delightfully deceptive treats!
Tabasco Sauce Donuts
This idea is a pretty simple concept that really packs a punch! First you need a box of store-bought donuts. (I suggest maple bars, but only if you’re sharing with me.)
Fill a clean syringe with Tabasco sauce and carefully insert into the middle of some of the donuts. Your “victim” will see you eating donuts, so won’t think twice about it when you offer him a Tabasco-filled one. Watch the pleasure turn to horror when he starts eating!
Chocolate Cupcake Surprise
Here’s a story I’ve heard over and over again. I guess if they prank a manager it goes down in the history books!
One April Fool’s Day Dani decided to buy some chocolate cupcakes from the store and add a little something of her own – black food color. She injected it in the middle of the cupcake with a syringe. (Apparently a pretty handy tool to have back in the Western department!)
Most of the cupcakes were untouched, and everyone was eating them – so when one was offered to our co-worker, he jumped at the chance.
He started realizing there was a problem when he saw black dye on his hands. Too late. His lips and tongue were black the rest of the day!
Raccoon Eye
For this simple prank you just need an ink pad and some binoculars. Ink around the binocular lenses with the pad so that when the unsuspecting wearer looks into them, they leave him with a surprise he won’t notice til someone tells him – or he looks in a mirror.
The guys in Western did this to a co-worker one time and he went most the day with the “ink spectacles” around his eyes before a co-worker from another department told him about it. Not saying it’s nice, just saying it works. Hehehe
Glue Bottle Jump
I call this the Glue Bottle Jump because that’s exactly what I did when they did this to me! You just need an empty glue bottle and some white 1/8″ cotton cord.
Take an empty bottle of glue and clean out the nozzle well. Marty uses a big bottle of Tear Mender because that’s what he uses all the time. Cut a 1/8″ cotton cord about 12″-15″ long and tie a knot at one end.
With the knot on the inside of the lid, insert the other end through the nozzle and make another knot on the open end. Now it is securely in place so it won’t come out. Pull the thread back through the lid so only the knot is showing on the nozzle of the lid. Attach your nozzle back to the bottle.
Marty, the Western department manager is fabulous at telling stories. He leads you up to the prank by showing you some of his work, or how he makes something. Then, when the moment is just right and he is showing you the glue, he’ll squeeze the bottle right at you and watch you jump…..and sometimes yelp. I’ve seen him do this to others and this harmless joke is always fun for a good laugh! Our friend Jeff was the last victim to his prank so we recorded it and you can see it below. Jeff says he doesn’t get scared easily so we’re pretty proud that we got any reaction out of him.
Thanks for being a great sport Jeff!
These are really only the beginning of the pranks and tricks you might find around here in the Western department. Maybe it’ll give you some ideas for April Fools pranks you can use!
Got some fun April Fools pranks of your own? We’d love to hear them! Please share them below.
Love all things Western? Tom teaches us how to tie a honda in this informative and easy-to-understand video. Check it out here!
