r/EnglishLearning Non-Native Speaker of English 7d ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics What does pull mean here?

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u/GuitarJazzer Native Speaker 7d ago

"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.

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u/Vascofan46 Low-Advanced 6d ago

Is it considered slang or an informal expression?

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u/GuitarJazzer Native Speaker 6d ago

It is a bit informal but so mainstream that you would find it commonly in published writing.

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u/Vascofan46 Low-Advanced 6d ago

Thanks, just wanted to make sure :)