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Pull one's leg

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To tease or joke with someone playfully; involves light-hearted deception or mockery intended to amuse rather than harm, testing another's ability to recognize humor.

Detailed Definition
Pull one's leg means to tease, joke with, or trick someone playfully rather than maliciously. In poetry, the idiom can appear in comic dialogue, family scenes, courtship, or dramatic monologue where truth and jest mingle. Its physical oddness makes humour bodily, as though teasing gently unbalances the listener. A poet may use it to soften intimacy, reveal affection, or create uncertainty about whether a speaker is serious. It is useful for studying tone, especially when playful deception borders on cruelty.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic poem might have the old sailor pull one's leg with tales of singing whales; In a family poem, the uncle pulls the child's leg about fairies in the coal shed; The phrase means to tease or joke with someone; A poet can use it to create affectionate humour.
Additional Notes
Pull one’s leg means tease someone playfully or deceive them jokingly. In poetry, it can be used in dialogue, comic verse, family scenes, or unreliable narration. The bodily image is absurd, which suits the lightness of the idiom. Students should distinguish playful teasing from cruelty: the phrase usually assumes affection or harmless mischief. It pairs well with laughter, tall tales, mock seriousness, and sudden revelation of the joke.
Also Known As
joke
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