# pull someone's leg

> English word · Verb

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

## Etymology
The phrase from Scotland originally meant to make a fool of someone, often by cheating him. One theory is that it is derived from tripping someone by yanking or pulling his leg in order to make him stumble and look foolish.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pull-someone-s-leg