fools

views updated May 29 2018

fools All Fools' Day a humorous term for 1 April as a day for testing the credulity of others; recorded from the early 18th century, and probably modelled on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
fools and bairns should never see half-done work the unwise and the inexperienced may judge the quality of a finished article from its rough unfinished state; saying recorded from the early 18th century.
fools ask questions that wise men cannot answer a foolish person may put a question to which there is no simple or easily given answer. The saying is recorded from the mid 17th century.
fools build houses and wise men live in them a shrewd person chooses to save themselves trouble, and benefit from the effort expended by another. The saying is recorded from the late 17th century.
fools for luck a foolish person is traditionally fortunate (the same idea is expressed in Fortune favours fools). The saying is recorded from the mid 19th century.
fools rush in where angels fear to tread a foolish person will often take a step where someone wiser will be more cautious; the saying comes from Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1711).

see also children and fools tell the truth, fool, fortune favours fools, ship of fools, young folks think old folks to be fools.

April Fool's Day

views updated May 18 2018

April Fool's Day ★½ 1986 (R)

Rich girl Muffy (Foreman) invites eight college friends to spend the April Fool's weekend with her at her family's isolated island mansion. Everyone is subjected to an endless series of practical jokes when things apparently turn deadly and several of the kids begin disappearing. Twist ending. Lame spoof of “Friday the 13th” and other teenagers-in-peril slasher films. 90m/ C VHS, DVD . Deborah Foreman, Jay Baker, Pat Barlow, Lloyd Berry, Deborah Goodrich, Ken Olandt, Griffin O'Neal, Tom Heaton, Mike Nomad, Leah K. Pinsent, Clayton Rohner, Amy Steel, Thomas F. Wilson; D: Fred Walton; W: Danilo Bach; C: Charles Minsky; M: Charles Bernstein.

Fools

views updated May 18 2018

Fools ★ 1970 (PG)

Two lonely people—he an aging horror film actor and she a young woman estranged from her husband—start a warm romance when they meet in San Francisco. The husband reacts violently. Good cast seems lost. 93m/C VHS . Jason Robards Jr., Katharine Ross, Scott Hylands; D: Tom Gries.

April Fools Day

views updated May 21 2018

A·pril Fool's Day (also A·pril Fools' Day) • n. April 1, in many Western countries traditionally an occasion for playing tricks. Also called All Fools' Day.

Fools

views updated May 14 2018

Fools: see HOLY FOOLS.