Daughter disguises Brussels sprouts as chocolates for her Dad in best Christmas prank ever
"I know his retribution will be swift and terrible, but no Christmas gift could be greater than this."

Why save the pranks for April 1st?
Christmas might be a time for sentimentality and love and all that gushy goodness, but it can also be a time for unbridled antics. After all, it’s the one time of year when our inner child spirit is supposed to come alive, right? Some people’s inner child just happens to be a bit mischievous.
Singer Judy Louie Brown falls into this category with her hilarious, meticulous and downright diabolical prank played on her dad involving some delightful Ferrero Rocher chocolates…and brussels sprouts.
As Brown shared on X, formerly Twitter, that in 2012 she came up with an “ingenious” way to wind up her dad, something described as her “favorite pastime.”
Brown’s plan was simple: unwrap the chocolates. Wrap Brussels sprouts in the chocolate package. Close the box. And then play “the waiting game.”
Though Brown didn’t divulge her father’s reaction to unwrapping a cruciferous veg in a place of smooth creamy chocolate, it’s safe to say that the prank was a success. In fact, dad was so “spooked” that the next year he wouldn’t touch a Ferrero Rocher. Which is fine, because Brown had bigger plans in store.
“I decided to play the long game & didn’t tamper with the confectionary: spooked by the year before, he would not touch a single Ferrero Rocher (which was great because he usually inhales them at 750mph) so there were Ferreros aplenty for the rest of us. I bided my time,” she wrote on X.
Cut to two years later, Brown has “the devil at her elbow” as she reveals her “most audacious sprout prank yet.”
Her post is accompanied with a photo of some Ferrero Rochers, brussel sprouts, a bar of chocolate and a bag of mixed nuts.
And so, yesterday, home for Christmas and with the devil at my elbow, I embarked on my most audacious sprout prank yet. pic.twitter.com/zr24u6Ve0g
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 25, 2018
“While he was out I dipped the sprouts in chocolate, rolled them in chopped hazelnuts, and did all I could to replicate the iconic Ferrero,” she wrote, adding, “I re-wrapped and (this is crucial) re-sealed the box with its original tape and a tiny dab of glue. Then secreted it amongst a bag of tasty gifts from my Aunt and retired to watch from afar.”
Thank goodness Brown uses her intellect for dad pranks and not crime.
While he was out I dipped the sprouts in chocolate, rolled them in chopped hazelnuts, and did all I could to replicate the iconic Ferrerro. pic.twitter.com/UgvLOXeXWJ
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 25, 2018
I re-wrapped and (this is crucial) re-sealed the box with its original tape and a tiny dab of glue. Then secreted it amongst a bag of tasty gifts from my Aunt and retired to watch from afar pic.twitter.com/hkIThpvByI
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 25, 2018
Of course, dad was still suspicious at first, and only viewed the bag on Christmas Eve. But then on Christmas morning, he couldn’t resist. After all, “He quite likes a post-brekkie Ferrero.”
Brown waited in the kitchen, trying to avoid “spooking” him. In here words, here’s what happened:
I am still chuckling. I will all day long. I know his retribution will be swift and terrible, but no Christmas gift could be greater than this: seeing my Dad, despite his efforts to avoid it, unwittingly eat a raw sprout. Merry Christmas, one and all. pic.twitter.com/RYV6pvYqbe
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 25, 2018
“He EXAMINED. He unwrapped. He examined FURTHER. Fears allayed, he popped the whole thing in his mouth. His face played a symphony of emotions: satisfaction, triumph, smugness, consternation, confusion, realization, horror, disgust.”
On Dec 12, Brown shared that the Brussels sprouts saga has endured as a holiday tradition that she describes as “an even-sided conflict, with both resorting to greater nefariousness & descending to even more underhand deception each year.” For example, when Brown hid the sprouts on her father’s toothpaste one year, he apparently retaliated by filling her bedsheets with them.
More recently, Brown showed eager readers how she managed to sneak them into packaged mince pies.
Success - like a bomb disposal expert I got the top off in one so I could scoop out the mincemeat (the very taste of Christmassy intrigue and subterfuge) pic.twitter.com/HNj9itd6Nu
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 26, 2021
Then I added the stars of the show; they’re quite small ones and nestled in neatly. Sleep well, little sprouts. Your time will come. pic.twitter.com/96zueUnXpc
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 26, 2021
I carefully replaced the lid, covered the gaps with a bit of sugar, & hid it back in the box with its non-sprouty friends to lie in wait. And o what a wait! He didn’t go for them on Christmas Day! I couldn’t be seen to push anything - the suspicion was too great. I bided my time. pic.twitter.com/CSoDLShXmU
— Judy Louie Brown (@mcjude) December 26, 2021
With each new hilarious idea Brown comes up with, she earns her online moniker of “evil genius.”
Maybe it’s okay to be a little naughty for Christmas, especially when it brings such intense joy.
- This dad suspected his daughter was pranking him and yet she still managed to pull it off ›
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- George Harrison's elaborate prank on Phil Collins may be the funniest joke in rock history ›
- Woman discovers her husband's been leaving love notes in her shoes for over six years - Upworthy ›
- Husband wakes up wife to pretend they're mid-Uno game and her reaction is adorable - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."