Nelly Min

Reader's question:

Hey, stop pulling my leg, will you! I don't believe that girl really said she likes me and would like me to take her out.

Could you explain “pull my leg”?

My comments:

Pulling someone's leg means you're making a joke or tricking them.

When someone makes a joke by lying to you and pretending that lie is true, they're pulling your leg. Example: Look, your shoes are untied. Ha! Just pulling your leg.

When you trick a person into believing a lie as a way of making a joke, you are pulling their leg.

Example: Really? That store is closed today? … Don't listen to him. He's just pulling your leg.

Related readings:

Ego bath

On the front of burner

Have the last word

Tough call

Upper reaches

Off the shoulders

Off and running

Gold dust

Frugality fatigue

Red flag

Stare in the face

Call balls and strikes

Cyber Monday

Stare in the face

With a grain of salt

Out of nowhere

Shove it under the carpet

the sky is the limit

hit it off

get my rib in my heart

With bells on

No harm, no foul

Pick up the slack

length and breadth of

get up to speed on something

Borrowed time

On a shoestring

Shake a leg

About the author:

Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily website.