An old or archaic term for a kind of frolic, practical joke, or foolish prank, especially one involving trickery.
From French 'fredaine,' possibly derived from Old French meaning a foolish act or deception. The exact origin is uncertain but may relate to theatrical or carnival traditions.
Fredaine is so delightfully obscure that it's almost disappeared from English, surviving mainly in historical texts and period literature—it's a window into what people thought was funny in the medieval and Renaissance periods.
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