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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Pull Someone’s Leg

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

To try to make someone believe something untrue as a joke; to tease someone playfully in this way.

Usage note: keep in mind

Use a possessive before leg: my leg, your leg or her leg. “I’m pulling your leg” means “I’m joking with you.” The idiom is informal; the literal phrase can also describe physically pulling a leg.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. “My cat has learned to do the washing-up.” “Are you pulling my leg?”

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

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Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

To try to make someone believe something untrue as a joke; to tease someone playfully in this way.
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Pull Someone’s Leg — To try to make someone believe something untrue as a joke; to tease someone playfully in this way.

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Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Pull Someone’s Leg” about your own life.

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Does your sentence match this meaning?

To try to make someone believe something untrue as a joke; to tease someone playfully in this way.

Compare: “My cat has learned to do the washing-up.” “Are you pulling my leg?”

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More ways to understand and use it

What does pull someone’s leg mean?

Pull someone’s leg means to tell someone something untrue as a playful joke, hoping they may believe it for a moment. There is no physical pulling in the idiomatic meaning.

If someone asks “Are you pulling my leg?”, they mean “Are you joking with me?” A reply such as “I’m only pulling your leg” explains that the earlier statement was a joke.

Pulling my leg or pulling your leg?

The possessive identifies the person being teased. In “You’re pulling my leg,” I am the person hearing the joke. In “I’m pulling your leg,” you are the person hearing it.

  • Are you pulling my leg?
  • I was just pulling your leg.
  • They pulled her leg about the imaginary prize.

The usual idiom is pull someone’s leg, rather than simply “pull a leg.” Keep leg singular when referring to one person.

Examples and a short dialogue

  • When Ben said he had a pet dragon, I knew he was pulling my leg.
  • “You met the astronaut at the supermarket? Are you pulling my leg?”
  • Nina pulled her brother’s leg by saying the sofa could talk.

Sam: My dog has started learning French.
Alex: Really? Are you pulling my leg?
Sam: Yes, I’m only joking!

Use the phrase for friendly teasing. In a serious situation, say directly that you are joking and make sure the other person understands.

Verb forms and similar expressions

The verb changes normally: pull, pulls, pulled and pulling. “She pulled my leg yesterday” is past; “She’s pulling my leg” describes the current joke.

I’m kidding and I’m joking are useful alternatives. Tease has a wider meaning: teasing does not always involve an untrue claim.

Check your understanding

Try each question before opening its answer.

Question 1

Complete: “That story cannot be true. Are you pulling ___ leg?”

Show answer 1 and explanation

My. The speaker is asking whether the other person is joking with them.

Question 2

Put “I pull your leg” into the past continuous.

Show answer 2 and explanation

I was pulling your leg. This describes joking that was in progress at a past moment.

Question 3

Someone says their bicycle can fly, then laughs and admits it cannot. Which meaning fits: a playful false claim or a physical action?

Show answer 3 and explanation

A playful false claim. In this context, pulling someone’s leg is an idiom.

Reference: Cambridge Dictionary: pull someone’s leg. Examples and questions are original to English Skill Studio.

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