# Pull the other one, it's got bells on. HUH? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033 "2001-08-25T02:32:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/1 "2001-08-25T02:32:07Z")
I understand that the above rejoinder is an expression of disbelief, that you think someone is taking you for being a gullible clod. But what the heck does it mean? Cursory web searches haven’t helped me nail this one down. Explanations like “it means they’re pulling your leg” or “it is derived from the days when they hung people” don’t clarify it for me. I scanned a dozen threads in SDMB without achieving further clarity. Sounds vaguely british. Any dopers able to enlighten me? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/2 "2001-08-25T02:33:53Z")
Morris dancers with bells strapped to their legs? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/3 "2001-08-25T03:18:27Z")
Google led me to this; [http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin\_board/1/messages/2674.html](http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin_board/1/messages/2674.html) Scottish, to trip someone to make them look foolish. Could be. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/4 "2001-08-25T03:30:29Z")
So the village idiot had bells on one leg; therefore “you think I’m so gullible as to believe that, you must take me for the village idiot who has bells on one leg”? Possible, I suppose. Any other hypotheses? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/5 "2001-08-25T03:46:42Z")
Cassell’s Dictionary Of Slang fails to give an origin but does date the expression from the 1960’s. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/6 "2001-08-25T03:51:11Z")
Well no, **Qadgop** , not exasctly. I think your phrase is more like saying “Yeah, right. Pull my other leg, at least you might hear bells ring”. The ‘bells’ part is probably a later addition. Or is that what you said? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/7 "2001-08-25T04:00:49Z")
Bells are a standard addition to the costume of a medieval court jester. Thus, “Pull the other one, son, it’s got bells on.” Used to convey disbelief, i.e. ‘Do you take me for a fool?’ 🙂 –Nut ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/8 "2001-08-25T04:43:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nostradamus \* > \*\*Cassell’s Dictionary Of Slang fails to give an origin but does date the expression from the 1960’s. \*\* Mebbe so, but I was 15 in '60 and I’m sure I heard it before that. 'Course I can barely remember my phone #. So who you gonna believe, me or some old fart named “Cassell”? 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![darkcool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@darkcool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darkcool)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/9 "2001-08-25T06:25:03Z")
So THAT’S what they say in Monty Python’s SFTHG! At the begining…I could never figure that line out. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/10 "2001-08-25T15:58:52Z")
Thanks all, especially to **nutwrench** whose reply so far makes the most (if not a lot of) sense. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pull-the-other-one-its-got-bells-on-huh/78033/11 "2001-08-25T16:26:15Z")
The bells were sewn onto a garter which was worn around one ankle by the court jester. The other leg didn’t have any. 🙂