pulling a leg
Meaning
To playfully tease or trick someone, often by telling them something untrue.
Origin
Picture the shadowy, gas-lit streets of 18th and 19th-century London, rife with mischief and petty crime. One particularly cunning tactic employed by street ruffians and thieves was the literal 'leg pull'—a swift yank on a pedestrian's leg to send them tumbling, making them an easy target for robbery. This crude, physical act of deception quickly became shorthand for any trick or swindle. But as society evolved, so did the phrase. The grim undertones of actual street crime faded, replaced by a lighter, more playful intent. The physical trip transformed into a verbal jest, and 'pulling a leg' became the genial way we now describe playfully teasing or deceiving someone, a relic of darker times repurposed for a laugh.
Examples
- Don't worry, I was just pulling your leg when I said the test was tomorrow.
- She loves pulling her brother's leg by hiding his phone and pretending she hasn't seen it.