Idiom
pull someone's leg
Meanings
To tease someone by joking and making them believe something untrue for fun.
Definition
To pull someone's leg means to joke by tricking someone into believing something that is not true.
If you pull someone's leg, you say something false in a playful way to tease or joke with them. The goal is usually harmless fun, not to hurt or seriously deceive. It often happens when someone is a bit too trusting or takes things literally.
Examples
- Are you serious, or are you just pulling my leg?
- He said the meeting was canceled, but he was pulling my leg.
- Don’t pull my leg—I already bought the tickets.
- I thought she won the lottery, but she was pulling my leg.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use this idiom for serious lies, but it usually refers to harmless joking rather than real deception.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.