What Does “Pulling Someone’s Leg” Mean? How To Use It

There are estimated to be over twenty-five thousand idiomatic expressions in the English language. Some are very common, like “pulling someone’s leg,” and you will always come across them. There are others that you will not know about except you study deep, idioms like “my neck of the woods.”

The idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg” means to make a person believe something is true when in fact, it is not; it is often used as a joke. An example of this idiom is, “Joan panicked when I told her there would be a math test tomorrow, but she realized I was only pulling her legs.”

Now, you have seen how easy the idiomatic expression is to use. Nevertheless, we will take a deeper look at some important things to know before you can use the idiom “pulling someone’s leg” correctly when writing.

What Does “Pulling Someone’s Leg” Mean?

Many people use idiomatic expressions when they write and speak, but only a few can communicate effectively; others do not because they do not have a comprehensive understanding of the idiom.

Idiomatic expressions are vital aspects of any language, and they convey hidden messages to the recipient. Furthermore, the recipient can get the message only if he understands the meaning of the idiom.

In this article, we will break down the idiom “pulling someone’s leg.” We need to dive into the meaning, origin, and correct use of the idiom in a sentence. Idioms have been used for a very long time, and each language has its unique idioms.

So, what is the meaning of the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg”?

The idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg” means to joke or tease a person by trying to convince them that something is true when it is not. It is a formal way of describing a deception or tease.

Another meaning of the idiom is to play tricks or fool a person sarcastically or humorously. Playing tricks on someone without any malicious intention is termed “pulling someone’s legs.”

When you use the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg,” it could also mean deceiving someone harmlessly and playfully. The idiom could also refer to when a person is joking around.

What Is The Origin Of The Idiomatic Expression “Pulling Someone’s Leg”?

As cool as this idiomatic expression sounds, you will be surprised the origin has nothing to do with playing pranks, telling funny stories, or making jokes. There are two theories about the origin of the idiom “pulling someone’s leg,” but there is no real evidence to back it up.

We will look at both theories, prepare yourself as you might find the stories strange and fascinating.

The first theory is that the idiomatic expression “pull someone’s leg” originated from Victorian London or Medieval markets in London. A trick petty thieves used to rob people was to make the victims trip by pulling their legs. The thieves are usually in pairs, one person trips the victim, and the other uses the opportunity to rob him of his possessions.

Some say the robbers do not have to trip the victims by literally pulling their legs, but he did something to make the victim stumble and fall. This was said to have occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

However, the lack of consistency in this theory has been the reason it has been rebuffed. There is no specific location where it occurred; if it were valid, there would not be a variation in the location.

The second theory of the origin of the idiom “pulling someone’s leg” is darker. The expression is said to have links with the execution by suspension, people sentenced to death by hanging.

There are stories that people paid to hang onto the legs of a person sentenced to death by suspension to make sure they died faster. Suspension hanging is a much slower death than long drop hanging. The former involves the victim being suspended in the air until he dies, but the latter involves dropping the victim, and he dies within minutes.

Tyburn was the prominent place of execution in England until 1783, and many people were hanged there; prominent people like Oliver Cromwell were also hanged in Tyburn. The people hired to hang onto the legs of victims sentenced to death were called “hangers-on.”

Although there is no evidence of proof that the practice of hanging on to the legs of sentenced people is true, claiming that it is the source of the idiomatic expression is improbable.

There is no link between the meaning of the idiom “pulling someone’s leg” and the execution by a suspension.

Although these two theories exist about the origin of the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s legs,” no one knows the actual origin of the expression.

Some say the idiom is American instead of the theories that say it is British and originated in the 19th century. The first time it was used in writing was in 1821, by Albert Gallatin’s secretary, James Gallatin, in his diary. He used the expression to describe an event that took place that year. However, the diary was not published till 1914, but it is now considered a counterfeit.

Some say the expression’s actual origin was in 1880, and one its earliest use of it was in February 1883, in The Newark Daily Advocate, an Ohio newspaper.

There are lots of controversies that surround the origin of the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s legs,” no one knows the actual origin of the idiom.

How Do People Use The Expression “Pulling Someone’s Leg”?

You use the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg” when you play a prank on a person by leading them into believing something false. When you use the expression, it also refers to teasing someone for the fun of it.

The expression is also used when telling a lie to someone jokingly; for example, when you tell someone he is standing on a landmine, but you are only teasing him, you say I was pulling your legs.

You can also use the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg” when tricking someone into believing something untrue, like telling a three-year-old that money grows on trees.

You also use the expression when lying to someone to laugh at their reaction, like telling your boyfriend you are pregnant to see his reaction and laugh about it. The expression is also used when you are just joking around about something with other people.

Illustrative Examples Of How To Use The Idiomatic Expression

Now that we have established the meaning, origin, and correct way to use the idiomatic expression “pulling someone’s leg,” we will look at some illustrative examples for further clarification.

1. On Tuesday, I could not attend class, so when I asked Esther to tell me what happened in class, she said we would have a test on Wednesday, and I freaked out before she said she was pulling my leg.
2. Janet loved pulling her husband’s legs, she told him she cheated on him once, and all the children she bore were for his best friend, such asinine behavior.
3. When Theo said the assignment was due tomorrow, most of my course mates were panicking, but I told them he was only pulling their legs.
4. The English teacher said we were starting exams tomorrow, but his tone made me wonder if he was serious or just pulling our legs, but when the principal announced it later in the day, I realized he was very serious about it.
5. I did not realize my dad was pulling my legs when he said we were going to the park until I came out all dressed up, ready to go, and found him asleep on the sofa.
6. Darnell loved pulling Claire’s leg, so Claire decided it was time for payback and told him Amelia was interested in him, so when Darnell asked Amelia out, she blew him off, and Claire made fun of him for it.
7. The iniquity Managing Director of our organization pulled our legs when he said the organization was on the brink of folding up and all staff would be laid off.
8. June loved playing pranks; she once told her high school teacher there was a hole in her dress. The teacher gave her detention when she realized June was pulling her legs.
9. Samantha told Mason that the principal would expel him for his unregulated behavior towards her, so Mason went to the principal office to plead. The principal had no idea what was happening, and then he realized Samantha was pulling his leg.
10. Brittany thought I was pulling her leg when I told her the principal wanted to see her, but she believed me when she heard the announcement from the principal.
11. The children were bored, so they decided to pull Mrs. Anderson’s leg by telling her Justin Bieber was knocking on her front door requesting to speak to her.

Final Thoughts

The proper and acceptable use of words, phrases, idiomatic expressions, and proverbs are all dependent on how well you understand the meaning and established guidelines in the language.

“Pulling someone’s legs” is an idiom you can find easy to use; you still need to take time to study this article to have a deeper understanding of how to use it.