Dictionary

pull a fast one en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (followed by on, idiomatic, often, slang) To carry out a trick or act of deception; to behave contrary to expectations.
   • But then came Jan. 6, when I watched my Ivy League-educated senator, Ted Cruz, try to pull yet another fast one on the American people as he fought — not long before the certification process was disrupted by a mob of Trump supporters storming the Capitol and forcing their way into the Senate chamber — to challenge the election results. 2021 January 11, Mimi Swartz, “Never Forget What Ted Cruz Did”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • The chap opposite seems to be trying to pull a fast one, and having seen the guard is trying to buy a ticket online... but doesn't succeed. The guard helpfully sells him one, but not quite at the price of one purchased in advance. In fairness he doesn't kick off, nor does the guard treat him like some common criminal. It's a fair cop - or should that be a fare cop? 2024 April 17, “Rural railways: do they deliver?”, in RAIL, number 1007, page 57:
   • The man known as Chainsaw Al pulled a fast one last week, buying three companies when everyone assumed he would be selling his own. 1998 March 16, Daniel Kadlec, “Is That You, Al Dunlap?”, in Time, retrieved 03 Nov 2017:
   • This isn't worth anything like what you paid them. I think they pulled a fast one on you.
   • 7. Claimants are pulling a fast one. No. Less than 1% of the welfare budget is lost to fraud. 2013 April 2, Ricky Tomlinson, “10 lies we're told about welfare”, in The Guardian, retrieved 03 Nov 2017:
   • I haven't forgotten the way you tried to pull a fast one over me when you first came here—over the Jaintiapur plantation that I had wanted for some time. 1907, Maurice Dekobra, The Widows Might:
   • President Bush today made his most aggressive assault yet on Gov. Bill Clinton, asserting that the Democratic nominee would "pull a fast one on the American people" and raise taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars. 1992 August 7, Andrew Rosenthal, “The 1992 Campaign: Bush Says Rival Would ‘Pull a Fast One’ Over Taxes”, in New York Times, retrieved 03 Nov 2017:

Forms

Relateds

fast one · pull someone's leg · pull the wool over someone's eyes

Translations (28)

de jemanden über den Löffel barbieren (to deceive or trick) · es decebir (disused) (to deceive or trick) · it tirare una bidonata (to deceive or trick) · tr oyun etmek (to deceive or trick) · de jemanden reinlegen (to deceive or trick) · es dar calote (to deceive or trick) · es tomar el pelo a (to deceive or trick) · de jemanden übers Ohr hauen (to deceive or trick) · es jugársela a (to deceive or trick) · fi huiputtaa (to deceive or trick) · cmn 耍花招 (to deceive or trick) · es engañar (to deceive or trick) · tr numara yapmak (to deceive or trick) · tr katakulliye getirmek (to deceive or trick) · pl wystrychnąć na dudka (to deceive or trick) · pl brać na bajer (to deceive or trick) · tr katakulli yapmak (to deceive or trick) · fr jouer un mauvais tour (to deceive or trick) · fi petkuttaa (to deceive or trick) · es colársela (to deceive or trick) · es llevarse al huerto (to deceive or trick) · tr oyuna getirmek (to deceive or trick) · es colar / meter un gol a (to deceive or trick) · es llevar al huerto (to deceive or trick) · pt passar a perna (to deceive or trick) · tr oyun oynamak (to deceive or trick) · pl wziąć na bajer (to deceive or trick) · pdc aabasse (to deceive or trick)