Meaning & use
don't kid a kidder
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
Said to someone who is joking or lying, meaning you recognize the trick and will not be fooled.
Grammar: Used as a complete response; it takes no object and is not usually changed in form.
Patterns
- don't kid a kidder
"I've been offered a million pounds for my old bike." "Don't kid a kidder — I know that bike is broken."
When he told me he had never eaten pizza, I laughed: don't kid a kidder.
She tried to say she forgot my birthday, but don't kid a kidder — she had a cake hidden in the car.
Common combinations
- kid a kidder
- You can't kid a kidder like me; I've heard that excuse before.
- don't kid yourself
- Don't kid yourself that the exam will be easy.
- just kidding
- Relax, I'm just kidding about moving to Mars.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pull the other one
- A British informal reply that also rejects a joke or lie, but it sounds more mocking and is used mostly in the UK.
- I wasn't born yesterday
- This states that you are not easily fooled, but it is less playful and can sound more serious or annoyed.
Word family
- kidder noun
- A person who jokes or teases others.
- kid verb
- To joke or say something untrue as a game.
Commonly confused: don't kid a kidder or kid?
don't kid a kidder vs kid
As a noun, 'kid' means a child or a young goat; as a verb, it means to joke. In this idiom it is the verb, so it does not refer to children.
Practice
Your friend says she has won the lottery, but you think she is joking. Which reply fits best?
Choose one answer.
'Don't kid a kidder' is the fixed idiom meaning you won't be fooled by a joke. The others are not established English phrases, even though they look similar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “don't kid a kidder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.