pull someone's leg

Definitions

1. To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.
   idiomatic
2. To extract money from someone (by taking out a loan or by swindling).
   idiomatic, obsolete

Equivalents

Examples

“I hadn't pulled Mrs. Barstow's leg for any of that stuff, she had just handed it to me on a platter, and that wasn't my fault.”

“No, I'm just pulling your leg, it's crucifixion really.”

“I'm very glad to hear⟳ of his good fortune; but it's a deuced strange thing, for I saw⟳ him at the club last⟳ night and he never said a word of it. I'll pull⟳ his leg when I see⟳ him.”

“The verb 'to-pull-his-leg' means to extract from his pocket all the lucre it will yield⟳.”

“"I would 'pull⟳ his leg,' but Laura will not work⟳ with me." The expression "pulling his leg," Miss⟳ Sullivan explained as meaning to coax or wheedle his wealth out of him.”

CEFR level