The English We Speak: Have someone on

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Education, Language Learning

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 3 minutes

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Summary

This means making someone believe something that isn't true, but in a jokey way. Learn how to use this expression here.

TRANSCRIPT

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them as well.
0:09.3	I'm Faye Faye and I'm here with Beth.
0:11.8	Hi Faye Faye. I've got some exciting news. I won the lottery yesterday and now I'm super rich.
0:20.1	You can come over to my mansion this weekend if you like.
0:23.2	Really? No, I'm just having you on. I didn't win the lottery. I'm only joking.
0:28.3	Oh, you really had me on there. And that's a great example of our phrase, have someone on.
0:35.2	It means you're joking or teasing someone, making them believe something that
0:39.7	isn't true. Exactly. It's a playful trick, but it isn't mean at all. It's just a joke. A bit like
0:46.6	when my best friend told me she'd met the king. She said they'd had coffee and cake and chatted all day
0:52.9	and then I realised she was having me on.
0:55.5	No way. Well, something happened to me the other day. I came into the office and then Neil
1:01.9	told me that we were all given that day off. So I was ready to pack up and go and then
1:07.2	realized he was having me on. That was really annoying.
1:12.4	Let's hear some more examples of Have Someone On.
1:19.3	My son told me he's been picked to play football for England schoolboys.
1:24.1	I think he's having me on.
1:26.0	My sister told me she's got a new boyfriend and it's this famous actor. I think she's having me on. My sister told me she's got a new boyfriend and it's this famous actor.
1:30.2	I think she's having me on.
1:32.4	What, we've been picked for the finals.
1:35.1	You're having me on.
1:40.0	Now, we often say you're having me on when you don't believe what you're hearing.
1:45.8	You think it's so unbelievable that it must be a joke.
	...

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