Meaning of pull someone's leg | Babel Free

Verb CEFR C1

Definitions

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

Equivalents

Bosanski blagi

Català prendre el pèl

Deutsch auf den Arm nehmen durch den Kakao ziehen hereinlegen jemanden durch den Kakao ziehen jemanden in die Irre führen veralbern verarschen

Esperanto blagi

Español buscarle a alguien las cosquillas cizañear meter cizaña picar (a alguien) provocar quedarse con alguien sacar pica tomar el pelo

Suomi juksata vedättää

Français faire marcher mener en bateau

Hrvatski blagi

Magyar ugrat

Italiano prendere in giro

Polski nabierać nabrać wkręcać wkręcić

Русский дразнить подка́лывать

Српски blagi

Tiếng Việt nói sạo nói sạo

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

Advanced
This word is part of the CEFR C1 vocabulary — advanced level.

See all C1 English words →

Meaning of pull someone's leg | Babel Free

Definitions

Equivalents

Examples

CEFR level

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