mettre en boîte

The French idiom “mettre en boîte” means literally “to put in a can” or “to can.” Figuratively however it means “to make fun of someone,” “to annoy,” “to tease,” or “to kid.”

The saying dates back to the end of the 19th century, when “to can” meant “to mock” or “to whistle disapprovingly at.” The modern form of the expression dates to around 1910 and was in widespread usage by 1930.

Similar English expressions include “to tease somebody,” “to make fun of somebody,” “to have a good laugh at,” and “to pull someone’s leg.”