Everyone has or has had one before: an obnoxious roommate. Those currently frustrated by live-in buddies should seek solace in today's holiday. It's not too late to join in on the food-prank fun and deal with your disagreements with some creativity.
Even if you lack the desire to see your roomie's face erupt in sheer terror, what's stopping you from letting your co-worker, significant other or another friend in on the fun? Here are a few ways to get back at the deserving, or at least keep yourself entertained, on April Fools' Day.
Resolve your conflicts
Have an obsessive-compulsive roommate who freaks out if shoes aren't removed immediately upon stepping through the doorway? Serve up a shot of adrenaline with a cup of spilled coffee or a carelessly tipped glass of wine. Not a real one, of course - don't want to risk the chance of losing the security deposit.
Fake it with a Seat Saver, available at prankplace.com/seatsavers. Handcrafted in the U.S., these ingenious fake spills come in the forms of ketchup packets, glasses of red wine and a use-your-own-mug coffee spill. Designed to help save a seat at a party while you get up to use the restroom, these also work great when strategically placed on the living room carpet. Leave it in a visible place and watch your roommate flip out.
Stay out of it
Roommate constantly snatching your food out of the fridge? Leave them a special surprise: fake food. Visit fakefoodonline.com for an enormous variety of inedible lifelike wax cuisine. Whether their favorite is take-out, desserts or even a sandwich with a margarita on the side, this web site has handcrafted foods that look a lot better than they taste.
If refrigerator space is scarce or you're looking for a more subtle way to protect your sandwich, get some anti-theft lunch bags from thinkofthe.com. These sandwich bags have green mold-like splotches printed on each side to help ward off roommates or sticky-fingered co-workers.
Cheese, man
Once you apologize to your roommate for tricking them with the fake spill, offer to make them lunch. Prepare a sandwich with American cheese, but don't take the wrapper off. Then watch them take a bite.
What a prick
Throwing a party tonight? Let unwelcome guests know they're uninvited. Use a pin to prick some holes in the bottom of their cup or can and watch it dribble on their shirt. Just be sure to keep them off the carpet.
Shake it up
Add some pizazz to the pantry. Pour some baking soda to your roommate's ketchup and shake it up. The next time they go for a side of ketchup for their fries, they'll get a bubbling surprise. No baking soda? Use hot sauce to add an extra kick.
Excuse me
Looking for something that will get your victim where it hurts? Reach for a classic: the laxitive. Add it to baked goods before putting them in the oven, use it to thicken a beverage or add some zest to the ranch dressing. The unsuspecting prey will be running to the bathroom every 10 minutes.
More ideas
If time is of the essence and cash flow is low, look to some usual suspects. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper in, well, anything. Dye your roommate's milk yellow with food coloring. Hide a dead fish under your best friend's pillow. OK, maybe not, but use your imagination.
If all else fails, visit the Internet for inspiration. Some of the ideas in this story were found on pranksite.com. With over 80 food pranks and hundreds of others to induce public humiliation and sheer confusion, they urge you to make the most of April Fools' Day, even if it means apologizing tomorrow.
