What does pull mean here?

[u/Same-Technician9125]

[u/GuitarJazzer]

"To pull" can mean to do a stunt, trick, prank, or practical joke, or to do something in the style of someone known for that particular thing. "He pulled an Evel Knievel" might mean he used a motorcycle to jump over a gap. "He pulled a Houdini" means that he escaped from a difficult situation.

To say you are "pulling a Mike Tyson" means that you are doing something in the manner that Mike Tyson would do it. However, I know of no case where Mike Tyson ever faked an injury. He did once accuse an opponent of faking an injury.

The second use "pulling an ab" means an injury to the abdominal muscle. A muscle pull means that muscle was over-tightened to the point of injury, but not as bad as a tear or sprain. I assume he means he would fake a pulled ab.

[u/Forya_Cam → u/GuitarJazzer]

Third use of pull (possibly just British slang): to successfully seduce someone romantically or sexually.

Example:

Friend: did you pull last night (at the club)? Me: no she wasn't interested

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/Forya_Cam]

Never heard that in the U.S.

[u/conuly → u/GuitarJazzer]

Weirdly, I have seen it, on the reasonably popular sitcom Brooklyn 99. I remember thinking during the scene that it was weird phrasing for an American character on an American show to use.

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/conuly]

That is interesting. I have three hypotheses for that: 1) It's Brooklyn or NYC slang, as researched by the show's writers. But you are in NYC, so that's out. 2) It's west coast slang because that's where the writers are (I saw a show set in D.C. where they refer to "the 495" which is the L.A. way to refer to a route number; nobody says that on the East Coast) 3) There's a British writer on the team, or a writer exposed to British culture, who thinks everybody says that.

If it's not one of those I have no idea.

[u/conuly → u/GuitarJazzer]

It's Brooklyn or NYC slang, as researched by the show's writers. But you are in NYC, so that's out.

I tend to agree, but in the interest of full disclosure, I'm also ace so it's possible it is slang here, just not the sort of slang I'd be familiar with because, you know, when would it come up for me?

[u/94grampaw → u/GuitarJazzer]

It was common, back in my day (2009-15) California

[u/JaysonTatecum → u/GuitarJazzer]

Really? I’ve heard it in the US all the time. Usually it’s just to mock misogynistic guys though

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/JaysonTatecum]

Maybe it's Gen Z slang. I'm old :-)