April Fools 2026
On April 1st people can play pranks on each other
tell a lie = speaking only, usually negative
play a prank = action or lie to trick someone (usually to be funny)
Why do companies play pranks on April Fools?
Companies hope their prank will go viral and their brand image will improve if people think the prank is funny
go viral = spread on social media
These are some stories from April 1st. Do you think they are true or pranks?
(100%) I’m sure = I’m certain = It’s definitely
(75%) It’s probably = I bet
(60%) I’d say = I think
(55%) I guess
(50-30%) It may be = Perhaps = It could be
Example: “I’d say this is a prank / true because”
Dyson Pet Range
Dyson announced a range of products for pets:
hair dryer
curling iron
hairbrush
vacuum for pet fur
Do you think these will be popular?
Yahoo Scroll stopper
Scroll up / down = move the page you’re looking at move up or down on your phone or PC
Yahoo is selling a ring for your thumb which will stop you from using SNS too much.
This costs $5.25 from their Tiktok Shop
Litter-Robot
Cats go to the toilet in a litter box. The owner has to clean the litter box once or twice a day. The Litter-Robot is a litter box that will clean itself automatically. How does it work?
Is this real or a prank?
The litter robot 4 can recognize up to 4 different cats. It will track each cats toilet use and send the data to your phone.
In Japan this costs 128,000 yen.
Do you think it will be popular?
Heathrow Express Gym
The Heathrow Express is the 15 minute high speed train from the airport to central London.
They said you can “get pumped for your holiday” and “feel energized” before getting on a long flight if you work out on their “Training train.”
A toilet in your car
In April, Seres, a Chinese EV maker announced their patent for their in-car toilet has been approved.
patent = document that gives you the exclusive right to make something (特許)
Where do you think the toilet is?
The company announced:
This is designed for long drives
The toilet is hidden under the passenger seat.
The seat can slide back by pushing a button or by voice command
The waste goes into a tank that must be emptied later
Of course the car has a ventilation system to remove smells
ventilation = system to let air pass through
Fortnite - new game mode
Fortnite, a popular shooting game, announced a new game mode where characters have cute bigger heads. You can also make characters point their fingers and say “pew pew” instead of using a gun.