This wonderful Spanish colloquial expression means to “to fool someone” or “to kid someone”, probably with the intention of teasing them. In English, we might say “to pull someone’s leg”.
The origen of the expression “tomarle el pelo a alguien” is uncertain. Some say it has to do with pulling someone’s beard, but others contend that it refers to cutting off the hair of prisoners. We’ll never really know for sure.
Listen to the following audio to hear “tomarle el pelo a alguien” used in context.
Here is the script in Spanish:
Dos amigos por teléfono.
– ¿Fuiste a cenar ayer con Carlos?
– Sí.
– ¿Y qué te dijo? ¿Qué era tan importante?
– No me vas a creer pero, me propuso matrimonio.
– ¿Me estás “tomando el pelo”?
– No, es en serio, no te estoy engañando.
– ¡Qué sorpresa! Te felicito… ¿Cuándo será la boda?
Explicación: “Tomarle el pelo a alguien” = decirle o hacerle una broma a alguien.
We´ll be back soon with more Spanish idioms that you can use to spice up your speech. By the way, if you are a beginner with Spanish, check out our Spanish lessons free on our webpage. The Spanish Awakenings series combines 44 lessons of grammar and vocabulary which are perfectly suited for people who are just beginning their Spanish studies.