Pull Your Leg
“Pull someone’s leg” means joke with someone by trying to make them believe something that is not true.
“Pull your leg” means tease or joke with you by trying to make you believe something untrue.
Key details
Further guidance
Contextual Examples
Don’t worry—I’m just pulling your leg.
Are you serious, or are you pulling my leg again?
History Boundary
The page publishes the current dictionary-supported meaning without claiming an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
joke with or tease someone by trying to make them believe something untrue
Meaning Boundary
It is about joking deception, not physical pulling and not a neutral synonym for lying in serious contexts.
Practical Use
Use it to tell someone that you are teasing them or trying to make them believe something untrue as a joke.
Tone Boundary
Very conversational; usually friendly, but tone depends on whether the listener experiences the joke as harmless.
Usage Boundary
The expression normally signals playful deception or teasing; context still determines whether the exchange feels friendly.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Pull someone’s leg — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Current meaning and informal register