Practice
Pulling someone's leg: meaning, tone, and examples
Sign in to saveMaya tells her brother that their cat has learned to open the front door. He looks worried until she laughs and says, 'I'm pulling your leg.' She has made up the story as a friendly joke. She has not touched his leg.
Understand pull someone's leg as an informal expression for joking with a person by making them believe something untrue for a short time, and choose it only when the joke is friendly and clear.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
pull someone's leg /pʊl ˈsʌmwʌnz leɡ/
The short answer
Use pull someone's leg when you are playfully trying to make someone believe something that is not true: 'Are you pulling my leg?' It describes a harmless joke, not a physical action. Say you were joking when you need to make the meaning clear.
'The café is giving away free cakes today.' 'Really, or are you pulling my leg?'
Why it works: The second speaker wonders whether the surprising claim is a joke.
6 more examples
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When I said the meeting had moved to midnight, I was pulling your leg.
The speaker admits that the strange information was a joke.
Not this:When I said the meeting had moved to noon, I was
giving you the new schedule. What changes: This is useful factual information, so the speaker should be direct. -
'Did you really meet a famous actor?' 'No, I was just pulling your leg.'
Just shows that the speaker means the claim as a small, playful joke.
Not this:'Did you really meet a famous actor?' 'Yes, I
met herafter the event.' What changes: This response gives a real answer instead of a joke. -
Ravi thought his friends were pulling his leg about the surprise party.
Ravi suspects that his friends are inventing the story to tease him.
Not this:Ravi's friends sent him the
party addressand arrival time. What changes: The details help Ravi attend the event and are not a tease. -
Please tell me you are pulling my leg about the broken printer.
The speaker hopes the unwelcome news is only a joke.
Not this:Please tell me when the printer
will be repaired. What changes: The speaker needs practical information about a real problem. -
Nora pulled her cousin's leg by saying that the museum closed at 6 a.m.
Nora makes a clearly unlikely claim to amuse her cousin.
Not this:Nora checked the museum's
opening hoursbefore they left home. What changes: Checking the hours helps the pair make a real plan. -
I knew Sam was pulling my leg because he could not stop smiling.
Sam's smile helps the listener recognize the joke.
Not this:I knew Sam
was seriousbecause he explained the change carefully. What changes: Careful explanation can show that a speaker expects to be believed.
Read the full guide
First, notice the reaction to a surprising claim. A person who asks, 'Are you pulling my leg?' thinks the speaker may be joking. The idiom works best when the joke is brief, light, and safe to reveal. If the statement could cause real worry or change a person's decision, use clear language instead of relying on a joke.
Recognize a playful false claim
The idiom begins with a claim that sounds surprising, unlikely, or silly. The speaker wants the listener to react, then reveals that it was a joke. The aim is amusement, not a lasting lie. A smile, a familiar relationship, or an obvious detail can help the listener understand the tone.
'The library is replacing every book with comic books.' 'You are pulling my leg.'
The change sounds unlikely, so the listener suspects a joke.
Does pull my leg mean that someone is physically moving your leg?
No. In this idiom, it means that the person is joking with you.
Use the person in the middle
Put the person who receives the joke between pull and leg. Say pull my leg when someone jokes with you, pull her leg when the joke is about her, and pull their leg for a person whose gender you do not need to name. The noun leg stays singular in this expression.
Are you pulling their leg, or is the new rule real?
Their identifies the person receiving the joke; leg remains singular.
Which form fits when you are the person being teased: pull my leg or pull my legs?
Use pull my leg. The idiom uses leg in the singular.
Ask whether a speaker is joking
Are you pulling my leg? is a useful question when a friend makes a doubtful claim. Your voice and facial expression can show whether you are amused, surprised, or unsure. In writing, a question mark and the wider conversation give the reader the clue. Use this question only when a joke is plausible.
'You won a free trip in the office raffle.' 'Are you pulling my leg?'
The listener asks whether the unexpected news is a friendly tease.
What does the listener want to know by asking this question?
The listener wants to know whether the speaker is telling the truth or making a joke.
Tell the listener that it was a joke
After a short joke, say I was pulling your leg or I was just joking. This gives the listener a clear answer. The past continuous form is useful because it describes the joke that was happening. Revealing the joke quickly helps keep the exchange light.
'The shop has stopped selling coffee.' 'Sorry, I was pulling your leg. It opens as usual.'
The speaker names the joke and then gives the real information.
Which sentence clearly ends a joke: I was pulling your leg or You should have known?
I was pulling your leg clearly tells the listener that the claim was a joke.
Choose direct language for serious matters
Do not use this idiom when someone needs accurate information or may be worried. A missed appointment, illness, money problem, safety warning, or family emergency needs a direct answer. Even with friends, a joke can fail when the listener does not know the context or cannot easily tell that you are teasing.
The doctor will call with the results tomorrow, so please give me the exact time.
Medical information can affect a person's choices, so it should be clear and factual.
Why is the idiom unsuitable for an emergency message?
An emergency message must be understood immediately, and a joke could delay a safe response.
Before you go
Remember this
Pull someone's leg means to make a playful false claim as a joke. Use the pattern pull my, your, his, her, or someone's leg. It is most natural in relaxed conversation when the listener can recognize the joke soon. Give direct information when the subject is serious or the listener needs a reliable answer.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Pulling someone's leg: meaning, tone, and examples"
What does pulling someone's leg mean in English?
Pulling someone's leg means joking with a person by making them believe something untrue for a short time. It is an informal idiom for a playful tease. The speaker normally reveals the joke, or the listener recognizes from the context that the claim is not serious.
When I said the meeting had moved to midnight, I was pulling your leg.
How do I use pull someone's leg in a sentence?
Put the person receiving the joke between pull and leg: pull my leg, pull your leg, pull his leg, or pull their leg. For example, you can ask, 'Are you pulling my leg?' or explain, 'I was pulling your leg.' The idiom keeps leg singular.
When I said the meeting had moved to noon, I was giving you the new schedule.
Is pulling someone's leg rude?
It can be friendly when people know each other and the joke is brief, clear, and safe. It can feel rude when it embarrasses someone, causes worry, or continues after the person is uncomfortable. The relationship, timing, and subject of the joke all affect its tone.
'Did you really meet a famous actor?' 'No, I was just pulling your leg.'
Can I say pull your leg in formal English?
Pull your leg is informal, so it suits relaxed conversation and casual messages more than formal writing. In a work message or another formal setting, say that you were joking if you need to explain a playful comment. Use direct information when the subject is important.
'Did you really meet a famous actor?' 'Yes, I met her after the event.'
When should I avoid saying pull someone's leg?
Avoid the idiom when the topic involves safety, health, money, urgent travel, private concerns, or any decision that depends on accurate information. A person may take the claim seriously and feel stressed or make the wrong choice. Give a clear factual answer in those situations.
Ravi thought his friends were pulling his leg about the surprise party.