What does ‘pull someone's leg’ mean?
To “pull someone's leg” means to tease or trick someone playfully. The phrase is late 19th-century; its origin is uncertain, and Brewer's does not fix a single explanation.
Origin
- The phrase is late 19th-century; its origin is uncertain, and Brewer's does not fix a single explanation.
How to use it
- Signals that a claim is a joke, not to be taken seriously.
- Example: Relax — I'm just pulling your leg.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.