pull one's leg

pull one's leg  {v. phr.},  {informal}
To get someone to accept a ridiculous story as true; fool someone with a humorous account of something; trick.
For a moment, I actually believed that his wife had royal blood. Then I realized he was pulling my leg.
Western cowboys loved to pull a stranger's leg.
Compare: STRING ALONG.
- leg-pulling  {n.}
Strangers were often fooled by the cowboys' leg-pulling.
Categories: informal noun verb