student asking question

Do "Pull someone's leg" and "pull on someone's leg" have same meaning? I'm asking because the example in previous questions are all without "on".

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

To "pull someone's leg" means to play a joke on, tease, or fool someone. It is an informal expression that indicates a feeling of surprise or incredulity. Gru has used this expression because he wants to confirm if Otto is being serious or joking around with him. The speaker says "pulling on my legs" but this is actually a mistake. The correct expression is "pull someone's leg." Ex: My boss says he's related to Bruno Mars, but I think he's just pulling my leg. Ex: Don't believe the fortuneteller. He's just pulling your leg.

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