leg-pulling

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leg-pulling

He gave his friend a friendly leg-pulling about the missing cookies.

Definition

Noun: * Good-natured deception or teasing; a joke where someone tries to make another person believe something that is not true. It is a form of humor involving a fabricated story or statement, told with the intent to amuse rather than to harm, and typically revealed as untrue soon after.

Usage
  • Leg-pulling is an uncountable noun. You do not typically say "a leg-pulling" or "leg-pullings." Instead, you refer to the general activity.
  • It is used to describe an instance or a pattern of this type of joking behavior.
  • Common verbs used with it include: .
Examples
  • "Don't take him seriously; it's just leg-pulling."
  • "He's very fond of leg-pulling, so always check his stories."
  • "I realized it was leg-pulling when I saw everyone start to laugh."
  • "She's a victim of good-natured leg-pulling from her colleagues."
Advanced Usage
  • The term can imply a sense of camaraderie or familiarity, as it is often done among friends or colleagues.
  • It contrasts with malicious deception; leg-pulling is intended to be humorous and temporary.
  • The phrase "It was only leg-pulling" is commonly used to clarify that a previous statement was a joke and not meant to be believed.
Variants and Related Words
  • Leg-pull (noun, countable): A single instance or act of leg-pulling.
    • Example: "He told me a complete leg-pull about winning the lottery."
  • To pull someone's leg (verb phrase, idiomatic): The action of engaging in leg-pulling.
    • Example: "Is he serious, or is he pulling my leg?"
Synonyms
  • Teasing: Making fun of someone in a playful way.
  • Kidding: Speaking in a joking manner, not seriously.
  • Ribbing: Good-humored teasing or mockery.
  • Joking: The act of saying something to provoke laughter.
  • Banter: The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • To pull someone's leg: To tease someone by telling them something untrue as a joke.
    • Example: "Relax, I'm just pulling your leg! Of course you passed the exam."
  • Only joking / Just kidding: Phrases used to immediately indicate that a previous statement was leg-pulling.
    • Example: "You believed that? I was only joking!"
leg-pulling

He gave his friend a friendly leg-pulling about the missing cookies.

Noun
  1. as a joke: trying to make somebody believe something that is not true

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