Pull a chain

[Otheus]

I am trying to find out the German equivalent for "Pulling one's chain". The previous posters seem a bit confused. I first heard this phrase 20 years ago. I was a young sales clerk and I was explaining a product to a customer. The customer nodded and appeared very interested. Following the prescribed selling formula, I asked "So would you like to take one home with you today". He replied, "Nah, I was just pulling your chain. I already have one."

Another phrase for this particular context is that he was "leading me along", but down an illusory, false path. A more equivalent expression is to "Yank one's chain", which as luck would have it, is fairly well explained in various online slang dictionaries, including:

Urban Dictionary: yank one's chain

Re: "Yank one's chain"

Presumably pulling is less malicious or harmful than yanking, which is why the expression exists per se.

So if anyone can help me come up with a German idiom, I'd appreciate it.

[banderas]

Originally Posted by Otheus

I am trying to find out the German equivalent for "Pulling one's chain". The previous posters seem a bit confused. I first heard this phrase 20 years ago. I was a young sales clerk and I was explaining a product to a customer. The customer nodded and appeared very interested. Following the prescribed selling formula, I asked "So would you like to take one home with you today". He replied, "Nah, I was just pulling your chain. I already have one."

Another phrase for this particular context is that he was "leading me along", but down an illusory, false path. A more equivalent expression is to "Yank one's chain", which as luck would have it, is fairly well explained in various online slang dictionaries, including:

Urban Dictionary: yank one's chain

Re: "Yank one's chain"

Presumably pulling is less malicious or harmful than yanking, which is why the expression exists per se.

So if anyone can help me come up with a German idiom, I'd appreciate it.

I can think of "jemandem einen Baeren aufbinden" or
"jemandem etwas weismachen"

Our frien from the froums, Snowcake, could confirm.