To tease or joke with someone by telling them something untrue; to playfully deceive.
This phrase likely originated in the 18th century from the literal act of tripping someone by pulling their leg, which was a common prank. The metaphorical meaning evolved to describe any playful deception or joke that 'trips up' someone's understanding, though in a harmless way.
The phrase reflects humanity's long tradition of physical pranks evolving into verbal ones - we still 'trip people up' but now with words instead of literal leg-pulling. Interestingly, the phrase maintains the sense of temporary imbalance and surprise that comes with both physical and mental pranks.
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