pull someone's leg

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (idiomatic expression):
    • To tease or joke with someone in a playful, non-malicious way: To tell someone something that is not true as a joke, with the intention of amusing yourself and the other person when they realize it is not serious.
Usage
  • This phrase is used to describe the act of good-naturedly deceiving someone for humorous purposes. It implies a friendly, joking relationship. The deception is temporary and meant to be discovered, leading to shared laughter.
  • Common sentence patterns:
    • [Subject] is pulling [someone's] leg.
    • Don't worry, [Subject] was just pulling your leg.
    • Are you pulling my leg?
Examples
  • Verb:
    • When he said he had bought an elephant, I knew he was pulling my leg.
    • She told me the meeting was canceled, but she was just pulling my leg.
    • "I won the lottery!" – "Really?" – "No, I'm just pulling your leg!"
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase can be used in various tenses like any verb.
    • He pulled my leg about it yesterday. (Past Simple)
    • They are always pulling each other's legs. (Present Continuous)
  • It is often used in the negative imperative ("Don't pull my leg") or as a question ("Are you pulling my leg?") to express disbelief or to check if someone is joking.
Variants and Related Words
  • Leg-pull (noun, informal): An instance of teasing or joking deception.
    • His story about the ghost was just a friendly leg-pull.
Synonyms
  • Tease: To make fun of or attempt to provoke in a playful way.
  • Kid: To speak to someone in a joking or teasing way (informal).
  • Rib: To tease or make fun of someone good-naturedly (informal).
  • Joke with someone: To say something humorous or not serious to someone.
Related Phrases
  • Have someone on (phrasal verb, chiefly British): To deceive someone playfully; similar to "pull someone's leg."
    • He didn't really mean it; he was just having you on.
Related Idioms
  • Just joking/Just kidding: Phrases used to immediately clarify that a previous statement was not serious.
  • You're joking!: An exclamation of disbelief, often used when suspecting someone is "pulling your leg."
Verb
  1. subject to a playful hoax or joke

Từ đồng nghĩa