Tomadura de pelo

[ROBINDESBOIS]

English?

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

English?

To pull the leg to sb.
To tease.
To kid.
To taunt.
To banter.

[Don José]

Originally Posted by pinosilano

To pull the leg to sb.
To tease.
To kid.
To taunt.
To banter.

These are verbs, but how do you say "esta propuesta es una tomadura de pelo"?

[chileno]

That's how they are used...

In the case of your example "esto es una tomadura de pelo" I guess you can say "this is a sham" or something like that.

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by Don José

...how do you say "esta propuesta es una tomadura de pelo"?

Using as noun:
This proposal is just a tease.
This proposal is a pull leg.

[Rusty]

leg-pull

practical joke, joke
hoax, deception, con, scam, rip-off

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by Rusty

leg-pull

Leg-pull = tomadura de pelo;
pull somebody's leg = tomar el pelo a alguien.

Is it correct?

[Rusty]

Yes.

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Yes.

Perfecto, gracias.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by chileno

That's how they are used...

In the case of your example "esto es una tomadura de pelo" I guess you can say "this is a sham" or something like that.

I think you mean a scam (una estafa). A sham is more una parodia.

"Esta propuesta es una tomadura de pelo" could also be freely translated as "You're having me on". Sorry, phrasal verb alert.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

I think you mean a scam (una estafa). A sham is more una parodia.
.

Y más o menos eso es una parodia, es tomar el pelo, una burla..

[Don José]

Objection : Recently I had my car being repaired. If I discovered they had overcharged me, I would say it was a "estafa", not a "parodia". At least in Spain.

pjt33: thanks for the phrasal verb, they are highly appreciated in English exams.

[Rusty]

'Having me on' is BrE. In AmE, it's said 'Putting me on'.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Don José

Objection : Recently I had my car being repaired. If I discovered they had overcharged me, I would say it was a "estafa", not a "parodia". At least in Spain.

pjt33: thanks for the phrasal verb, they are highly appreciated in English exams.

No. estafa = scam

Now, if they were overcharging you because they are playing a joke on you, that would be a "parodia/burla/joke" which could be a sham.

A sham also could be a scam, they are scamming you through a "parodia" (acting) akin to parody, if you will.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by Rusty

'Having me on' is BrE. In AmE, it's said 'Putting me on'.

As in the Irving Berlin song, "Putting on the Ritz"?

(Sorry, I'm getting a bit off-topic. If a mod wants to move this to a new thread, go ahead).

[Rusty]

No, that entire phrase is slang for 'dressing very fashionably'. The verb there is 'put on', like 'llevar (ropa)', not 'put somebody on' (tomar el pelo).

[poli]

Back to topic:
I think the best English equivalent for tomadura de pelo
is hoax.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Back to topic:
I think the best English equivalent for tomadura de pelo
is hoax.

I don't like that since hoax is more akin to scam.

Pulling your leg = tomándote el pelo.


Tomar el pelo is more like joking.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Hmmm... "tomarle el pelo a alguien" es engañarlo, aunque se haga de broma.

[poli]

Orson Welles' radio broadcast of the "War of the Worlds" was a very famous hoax.

Stories of Loch Ness monster or flying saucer sightings are generally seen as hoaxes.

Are they not a tomadura de pelo?

I know I'm splitting hairs (pardon the pun) but let me know if the term me estás tomando el pelo means something different than una tomadura de pelo. For some reason I suspect it does, but I'm a foreigner.