Pull someone’s leg means to tell them a friendly lie as a joke. Nobody touches anybody: the pulling is imaginary, and the point is to see the other person believe something silly for a moment.
The phrase describes harmless teasing between friends. The tone matters: a good joke ends with a smile and an explanation, and the person who was teased laughs too.
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the similar phrases. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer, including the difference between teasing and lying.
What it means
In one sentence: To pull someone’s leg means to tease them playfully by saying something untrue, usually to see their reaction before telling them the truth.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It means a friendly joke, not a lie that harms: "I was only pulling your leg."
- The speaker says something false, waits for the reaction and then admits the joke.
- It is common between friends, family and close colleagues.
- The phrase often appears in the past continuous: "I was just pulling your leg."
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The pattern is pull + possessive + leg: pull my leg, pull your leg, pull his leg, pull her leg.
- The verb changes with tense: pull, pulls, pulled, pulling. "He pulled my leg about the price."
- Common patterns are just pulling your leg and only pulling your leg.
- You can add about and a topic: "She pulled my leg about the meeting time."
When the idiom does not fit
- Do not use it for a joke that hurts; teasing should end in laughter for both people.
- It is not a serious lie. If the false information causes real damage, it is not pulling a leg.
- Avoid it with strangers or in formal situations, where a joke can be misunderstood.
- Do not use it to mean physical contact with a leg; the pulling is figurative.
Use it or not
Register: Informal and playful. Pull someone’s leg belongs in conversation between friends, family and people who know each other well. It is not suitable for formal writing or for jokes with strangers. The phrase is friendly by design, and it is only funny when the other person can laugh too.
Examples
- Relax, I was only pulling your leg about the exam date.Only makes the joke clear and softens it.
- He pulled my leg about the price of the tickets.About names the topic of the joke.
- Are you pulling my leg, or is the shop really closed?A question that asks whether the news is a joke.
- She loves pulling her brother’s leg about his cooking.The possessive changes with the person.
- I thought he was serious, but he was pulling my leg.The past continuous describes the joke in progress.
- They pulled our legs about the dress code for the party.The plural our works because the leg belongs to each teased person.
- Do not pull my leg about the weather; I can see the rain.The idiom often follows do not when the joke is obvious.
Similar idioms
tease someone
to make fun of someone in a friendly way.
wind someone up
to tease someone, informal British English.
have someone on
to trick someone as a joke, informal British English.
kid someone
to say something untrue as a joke, informal.
joke around
to behave in a playful, joking way.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
Relax, I was only ___ about the surprise.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. pulling your leg Pull someone’s leg means to tease them with an untrue joke, which fits the speaker admitting the surprise was a joke.
Which sentence uses pull someone’s leg correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. He pulled my leg about the meeting time. The idiom means teasing with a false statement, so the sentence about the meeting time is correct; the others are literal or reversed.
What does pull someone’s leg mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to tease someone as a joke Pull someone’s leg means to joke with someone by saying something untrue, not to touch their leg or tell a harmful lie.
Your friend says the cafe is closed, then laughs and says it is open. What did your friend do?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. They pulled your leg. A friendly untrue statement followed by a laugh is exactly what pulling someone’s leg means.
Who would you normally pull someone’s leg with?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a close friend Pulling someone’s leg is a friendly tease, so it belongs with people you know well; formal or serious situations need honesty.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "I was only pulling your leg."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. I was only joking with you. Pull someone’s leg means to tease playfully, so the same meaning is "I was only joking with you".
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. She pulled his leg about the price. The pattern is pull + possessive + singular leg: she pulled his leg. The possessive changes with the person.
A friend looks worried, then you explain that the story was a joke. What do you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Do not worry, I was pulling your leg. Pull someone’s leg fits a friendly joke that the speaker now explains; a malicious lie would be a different thing.
Which sentence does NOT use the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The doctor pulled my leg to check the injury. The last sentence describes real physical contact, but the idiom means to tease someone with words.
A colleague tells you a wild story, then says, "I am pulling your leg." What does the colleague mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The story was a joke. Pull someone’s leg means the story was a playful joke, not a true account.
Questions learners ask
Is pull someone’s leg the same as lying?
No. Pulling a leg is a joke that ends with the truth and a smile. A lie is meant to deceive for real. If the other person cannot laugh when the truth comes out, it was not a friendly tease.
Is pull someone’s leg formal or informal?
It is informal and playful. Use it with friends, family and people you know well. In a formal situation, do not tease at all, or use the plain phrase "I was joking".
Does the idiom describe physical contact?
No. Nobody touches anyone’s leg. The pulling is a picture of the joke, and the phrase means to tease someone playfully with untrue words.
More idioms
Get cold feet
To get cold feet is to become nervous at the last moment and want to back out of a plan, especially a big one.
In hot water
To be in hot water is to be in trouble because of something you did or failed to do.
Miss the boat
To miss the boat is to lose an opportunity because you waited too long or did not act in time.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.