Pull the other one, it has.. bells.. ..on?

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Pull the other one, it has.. bells.. ..on?

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1paixe
jun 8, 2009, 9:14 pm

Okay. I'm very definitely an American. But I'm proud of myself for getting a lot of the Britishisms that happen in Sir Terry's books.

But this one? What the hell? Gaspode says it at some point. And somebody else says it. And then somebody (I think it's possibly Detritus) says it wrong somehow, but since I don't get the actual phrase, I don't get the saying-it-wrong bit even more.

It's possible that it's just.. made up. So, my question to you:

Does this line mean anything to anyone?

2UnrulySun
jun 8, 2009, 9:44 pm

It's like saying "you're pulling my leg". It means you don't believe what someone's told you.

I found this online, perhaps it'll help too:

There has been quite a lot of discussion on the leg-pulling theme. Some of the discussion involved people being hanged. It is the case that hanging can be drawn out and unpleasant - so the condemned man would often pay for the hangman or somebody to pull down on the legs to ensure a quick death. that causes an association between pulling legs and money.
somebody said that sometimes children would pull the legs in the hope of coins falling out of pockets. to tell a person to 'pull the other one' is to tell them to have another go - they might be luckier next time. if a pocket has coins it will jingle, as a bell would.
it is used as an expression of disbelief.

3reading_fox
jun 9, 2009, 7:17 am

I'd always assumed it was a morris dance related phrase, not sure why.

The use: "to tell a person to 'pull the other one' is to tell them to have another go - they might be luckier next time" is exactly right.

If anyone's got a full OED, or maybe even Brewer's they might have a source for the phrase.

4sphenisciforme
jun 9, 2009, 7:32 am

I checked Brewers earlier - nothing in my copy, I'm afraid, though its not the latest edition.

5paixe
Bewerkt: jun 9, 2009, 1:32 pm

The hanging explanation makes sense, but.. eeeugh, really.

I think, in my head, the only thing I could come up with was some sort of jester's hat. You know, like this:



But that's really only because they have different bits to pull and they usually have bells on them.

Also! Crazy British people who don't say WHAT on! I'm always going, "bells on.. what?" :-P

6MrsLee
jun 10, 2009, 10:19 pm

Well, perhaps my mind is in the gutter, but on the "pulling my leg" or "pull the other one" (meaning the other leg) theme, I always assumed they were referring to a man's "third" leg, you know, the one with the "bells" on it. Sorry, comes from being raised on a farm I think.

7UnrulySun
jun 10, 2009, 10:29 pm

Ha! I can totally see that. Would be just like Pratchett to have thought of it too.

8ninjapenguin
jun 10, 2009, 10:57 pm

Oh thank you, MrsLee! I thought I was the only one with a dirty mind.

9AngelaB86
jun 11, 2009, 12:46 am

Pratchett explains it in one of the DW books, in a footnote I think. It has to do with Morris dancers being tortured, and a king saying "pull the other one, it has bells on" referring to the bells on the person being tortured. Or something like that; I'm very tired. :S

10tardis
jun 11, 2009, 12:51 pm

yes, but that was the origin of the phrase in the DW. In the RW that phrase also exists but I doubt any Morris dancers were tortured to produce it. Although maybe they should have been... Have you noticed that Sir Pterry has a thing about Morris dancers and mimes? Vetinari is very hard on mimes...

11justjim
jun 12, 2009, 5:37 am

What's very hard about being forced to climb an invisible ladder out of a scorpion pit while reading a sign that says "Learn the Words"? Natural justice, I would say.

Actually, I'm not really that tough - I'm only pulling your leg.

12edrandrew
jun 16, 2009, 4:17 pm

Not really a first use but I recall a song from a school musical that I had to learn many years ago (say 1982) that involved a series of highly improbable (but true within the context of the plot) events related by someone renowned for their falsehoods. The chorus (from the unbelievers) perfectly illustrates the use of the phrase:-

Oh, oh, oh! You don't expect us to believe that pack of lies,
We'll belt you if you say another word,
The other leg's got bells on you, can pull it if you like,
But so far this is really quite absurd!

13Peta31
dec 15, 2009, 8:58 pm

Ok i'm an Australian and here we have a saying that's "pull the other leg it plays jingle bells!" so maybe Terry has heard that over here :)

14joannasephine
dec 16, 2009, 2:39 pm

I'm not sure of the origins, but it's a fairly old phrase meaning “I don't believe you”. The “it's got bells on” bit is meant to be ironic/sacrcastic – in other words, “what you say is as likely as me having bells on my other leg”.
“Pulling your leg”, meaning “teasing, having a joke at your expense” was the original phrase.

15humouress
mrt 22, 2010, 1:25 pm

This is my take on it; if someone teased you, they'd say "I'm just pulling your leg".
If you knew you were being teased, you might say, wearily "Pull the other one, it's got bells on" (ie other leg has got bells on, but this one doesn't), as in 'Yeah, I know you're teasing me', or even 'I know you're teasing me; you might as well go the whole hog'. At least, that's more or less the subliminal message I get when I read that.

16guido47
mrt 23, 2010, 6:25 am

"Cummon Aussie"

"...Pull the other one..." has always had SEXUAL connations.

The "jingle Bells" is even well known here in Victoria!

Although we would probably say "...it CUMS with..."

OH Dear...

Your Guido

17KayEluned
apr 2, 2011, 5:10 pm

I am British and this phrase is definatly a well known one over here and not invented by Sir Terry. As far as I am aware it is an extension of the phrase 'pull the other one' meaning you think someone is either lying or joking, the addition of 'it's got bells on' is to indicate that they must think you are a fool, hence the bells. That has always been my understanding anyway.

18Orangez
apr 3, 2011, 3:55 am

I totally agree with KayEluned on this. 100% spot on.

19LoPan12
nov 16, 2012, 11:14 pm

I always thought it meant something like this:
Person A says to me: something that sounds of bullcrap, with the full intention that you believe them.
I, reply thusly:You're pulling my leg (or in modern american terms: Buuuuuuuull@$$%), so Pull the other one, and if you're fool enough to think I'd believe you, then you're fool enough to believe me when I say it's got bells on.

20Novak
dec 11, 2012, 4:43 pm

Girls drink in pairs. They are rarely both beautiful because that would be too competitive. Therefore boys hunt in pairs too. You are unlikely to be successful on your own. As guys on the make (many years ago......) having made conversation with the beauty, your partner-in-crime was then duty bound to “pull the other one”.

Would I lie to you............?

21KayEluned
jan 10, 2013, 4:23 pm

Ha ha ha ha, brilliant explanation Novak

22Novak
jan 11, 2013, 2:37 am

I confess I was laughing out loud when I typed it. Also funny to relate that the “back up man” always seemed to end up getting the best end of the bargain.. .. .. ..

23Novak
jan 21, 2013, 3:02 pm

>1 paixe: This gets interesting......Nowhere on this topic has it been pointed out......That phrase does not occur in any of Sir Terry's books. This should make you think hard.. .. .. .. .. .. .. :o)

24KayEluned
feb 14, 2013, 3:57 pm

Are you sure? I was convinced it does, I might have to go and investigate

25Novak
feb 21, 2013, 2:04 pm

HeyKay: It's close.....Bear in mind TP is not an American................

26Novak
feb 24, 2013, 7:04 pm

In a similar vain the expression "Poking fun at" someone is interesting. "Making fun of" is easy to understand but "Poking fun at".....................?

I wonder how that came about.

27rstaedter
mrt 5, 2013, 3:31 pm

>23 Novak: It's very likely that you are correct, ... but ...
>24 KayEluned:: Check, for example, the first letter Carrot writes (p. 41 in my Corgi paperback edition of "Guards! Guards").

28Novak
Bewerkt: mrt 5, 2013, 5:15 pm

>27 rstaedter: Hey rs. Yep....Page 30 in my City Watch Trilogy hardback. But.....He doesn't say "Pull the other one, kid. It has bells on." And he would not. Why not?-- -- -- -- :)

29pinkozcat
mrt 6, 2013, 2:14 am

Concrete thinking. A literal mind.

30Novak
mrt 6, 2013, 12:39 pm

Who, Captain Vimes..? Pinky.....He was pisatively possed in a "common ale-house" (you wouldn't understand about them) at the time he said it.......................... ;-)

31pinkozcat
mrt 7, 2013, 9:55 pm

No - it is Carrot who suffers from concrete thinking. He doesn't recognise metaphors

It is a term used in psychiatry

32Novak
mrt 8, 2013, 6:04 am

Hmmm...... Concrete thinking... Sounds like a... Band with Rocks In............Hmmm.... $$$$$.. .. ..

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