Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 292. The idiom today is to pull someone's leg.
Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. Nowadays to pull someone's leg means to
fool or tease somebody. This is often done by trying to make somebody believe
something and overreact about something. So obviously you're telling them
something that's probably false or not true. And you're trying to get a reaction
out of them by telling them this to see like if they are shocked . Like huh really ?
Oh my God or something like that. And then of course at that point you could
probably just laugh at them. That's what they mean. Thus making them appear
like a fool. So this is what... the way we usually use it today. That's the most
common way. Okay. Let's continue. There are several theories about the origin. One is
that during the Victorian era. You know in London, thieves would pull at people's
legs and cause them to trip. While they were on the ground and disorientated
like not knowing where they were. They would try to rob them. Okay. This is one
that a lot of people say is actually the origin of this phrase. Okay. Let's look at
the second one here. Okay. The second possible origin is that during executions in the
seventeen hundreds England. People were hired to pull and weigh down ...weigh down
basically people that were you know, being hung. Okay. So they would die faster.
In a less painful way. Because if that you didn't pull them down then maybe
they would struggle there and it would be more painful. And I don't know. Does
somebody really want that job ? Does somebody really want the job holding
somebody's leg and trying to pull them down so that they can choke and die
faster ? I don't know that's not really a good job. But I'm not a hundred percent
sure if this was done or not really done. But they're saying that this is another
possible explanation to this phrase of where this
phrase may have come from. Okay. Let's continue.
Both of these are questionable because there's no documentation to back them up.
Although there might have been some documentation of had the people hired to
pull legs. But still that doesn't seem to be a direct connection to them to this
phrase though. It doesn't explain a connection to the modern more humorous
meaning because today it's a very light funny meaning. Both of these are kind of
serious. All right. Let's continue. There's also another theory related to a
Scottish phrase meaning to make a fool of somebody by cheating them. So that
could have possibly been a third one. All right. Anyway, let's take a look. We have
about three examples here. Of how we would use this phrase today. One of his
classmates pulled his leg by telling him that the principal wants to see you. Yeah.
This is often done in school a lot of times. Students often telling other
students something that's not correct just to get a reaction out of them. So
you know, a lot of times, especially in the younger grades. If you thought you
were being sent to the principal. You thought you must be in trouble. Like that.
(huh) The principal wants see me why? What, what's wrong ? Something like that. So
they're just doing it to get a reaction. And you know just to laugh to make a
fool of somebody . O number two here. You heard that they are planning to move the
Statue of Liberty back to France ? You must be pulling my leg. All right.
This is the way we'd say it. Like especially if somebody told you
something that almost seems way too ridiculous to be true. Maybe you might
say it that way. Or you know, maybe somebody is telling you something that
is completely ridiculous just to see if you might believe it. You know it's so
crazy to be true. In this case, you might... somebody might say , that can't be true.
You're pulling my leg. Get out of here. That's the way we
would use it.. All right at number three here. Also with
students. Some students like to pull the leg of any student that was absent the
day before by telling them there is a test today. Yeah so the student wasn't at
school the day before. So he wouldn't know if a test was announced the day
before. And then when they come in. It's a
way to scare the returning student. Huh ? What test ? I did know there was a test. oh my
God. There is test today ? Kind of like that.. And of course when they make that reaction.
All the students might laugh at them. That's a perfect example of pulling
someone's like. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. Thank you for your
time. Bye-bye.