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pull someone's leg

Meaning: To joke or tease someone by telling them something untrue.

Language: English

Literally: to pull someone's leg

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: Likely 19th-century British slang; possibly from street thieves who tripped victims by pulling their leg to rob them.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • Avoir la gueule de bois — To be hungover.
  • To turn a blind eye — To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.
  • To bite the bullet — To face something painful with gritted courage.
  • Hablar por los codos — To talk nonstop.
  • Costar un ojo de la cara — To be outrageously expensive.
  • Quedarse de piedra — To be stunned speechless.

More English idioms

  • Mad as a hatter — Completely eccentric or unhinged.
  • To steal someone's thunder — To take credit for another's idea or upstage their big moment.
  • Hair of the dog — A morning drink taken to cure a hangover.
  • To go cold turkey — To quit a habit abruptly and completely.
  • To cut the mustard — To meet the required standard; to succeed.
  • To chew the fat — To chat idly and at length.

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