If you pull someone's leg, you tease them about something, for example by telling them something which is not true. Is he serious or just pulling my leg? I'm just pulling your leg, darling. You used to have a sense of humour. Note: You can refer to a joke like this as a leg-pull. A lot of people think this kind of painting is a leg-pull. Note: There are two possible explanations for this expression, although there is no proof for either. One suggestion is that in the past, when someone was being hanged, their friends or family sometimes pulled their legs hard so that they died more quickly and suffered less. Alternatively, the expression may refer to thieves tripping people up before they robbed them.