Under Wraps There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at work on a blustery day with your hair frazzled, cheeks flushed and smelling like a wet lamb only to see the chap across the hall looking impossibly immaculate in his three-piece suit. To mess with the sartorialist in your life, wrap their accoutrements in paper so they’re forced to make a mess. Treading Water Everyone has a co-worker who leaves mugs lying around, stained with coffee or still containing squishy tea bags. Return the favor by filling all the cups in the pantry with water and placing them around your colleague’s favorite place to relax: After pouring out all the liquid, they’ll realize it would’ve taken less time to run the dishwasher. Air Mail Does your copy of The New Yorker go missing on a regular basis? Whether your colleague has a constant stream of personal packages delivered to the office, sneaks stamps from the supply cupboard or opens your mail, seek revenge by making their post a little bit harder to receive. Step Up Despite clearly marked recycling instructions, many people struggle to keep their belongings contained and live in a graveyard of file piles. Teach your messy deskmate a lesson by placing the contents of their cabinets on the staircase and make them traverse the obstacle course of your choosing. In With a Bang Some people just don’t understand the politeness and value of knocking: No one likes the type who barrels into your office unannounced for a chat whenever they feel like it. Diminish their zeal for opening closed doors with a good old-fashioned pop—they’ll know to ask permission next time. Surveillance Tape Does someone on your floor like to slip out a few minutes ahead of schedule? Tape up the nearest exit to make sure they punch out on time. Note: Pretest your tape choice so that it doesn’t remove the wall’s paint or varnish. No matter how much joy this prank brings, there’s nothing worse than spending a day matching Pantone swatches. – This is one of three free promotional stories from Issue Nineteen. You’re welcome to choose three more stories from each print issue of Kinfolk to read for free. If you’d like to enjoy unlimited access to our online archive, subscribe here. If you’re already a subscriber, please sign in. TwitterFacebookPinterest This story is from Kinfolk Issue Nineteen Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story.
Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible.
Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse.
Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story.
