verb phrase🎓 English idiom

pull someone's leg

to joke with or tease someone

What it means

To tease or joke with someone by telling them something untrue in a playful way, usually expecting them to realise it isn't serious. It's lighthearted, not malicious.

Examples

  • Relax, I'm just pulling your leg, the meeting isn't really cancelled.
  • Are you pulling my leg, or did you really meet a celebrity?
  • He loves pulling people's legs with outrageous stories.
  • She pulled my leg about winning the lottery and I believed her.

Where it comes from

The exact origin is uncertain. The phrase appears in the late 19th century; popular theories about tripping people or hangings are unproven, and the sense is simply of playfully 'tugging' someone along.

Related idioms

#break a leg#pull yourself together#speak of the devil#a piece of work

🎓 Think you know your idioms?

Take the English Idioms Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.

Take the test

Built by the team behind Deep In.