IdiomBody & Senses
French
FrenchSe payer la tête de quelqu'un
Meaning: To mock or ridicule someone.
Literally: To treat oneself to someone's head
Example: “Tu te paies ma tête avec ton histoire de requin dans la piscine ?” — Are you pulling my leg with your story about a shark in the pool?
English equivalent: To pull someone's leg
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: Tomar el pelo Literally: To take someone's hair
German: jemandem einen Bären aufbinden Literally: To tie a bear to someone
English: pull someone's leg
Welsh: Tynnu blewyn o drwyn Literally: To pull a hair from the nose
Dutch: een loopje nemen Literally: To take a little run with someone
Origin: Se payer here means 'to treat oneself to', with tête standing in for the person themselves — one treats oneself to someone as an object of ridicule.
More French idioms
- Donner un coup de pied dans la fourmilière To strike a major blow or take bold action that stirs up considerable agitation and contr…
- Remettre en selle To help someone recover a former position or regain their footing after a setback.
- Prendre des gants To handle a delicate matter with great tact and care to avoid offending someone.
- Remettre en train To restart or reactivate something that has stopped or slowed down.
- Vendre chèrement sa peau To defend oneself fiercely and make a determined stand against those trying to kill you.
- C'est la fin des haricots It's all over; there's no hope left.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- T'as pas inventé le fil à couper le beurre You're not exactly a genius — the wire to cut butter is about the most obvious tool imagi…
- Tête de mule An impossibly stubborn person who refuses to change their mind no matter what.
- C'est une vraie chèvre They're hopelessly stubborn and infuriating — a goat that refuses to be moved.
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