take the mickey

English

Alternative forms

• mickey-take
• take the Michael
• take the mick

Etymology

From Cockney rhyming slang "to take the Mickey Bliss" (for take the piss).

Verb

take the mickey (third-person singular simple present takes the mickey, present participle taking the mickey, simple past took the mickey, past participle taken the mickey)

1. (intransitive, Britain, slang, idiomatic) To ridicule or mock.

   Are you takin' the mickey? You'll get yer 'ead bashed in.

   • 2008, The Age newspaper, Who's laughing now?, by Kenneth Nguyen

     For the last eight years, taking the mickey out of George Bush has been great, victimless fun. Like taking candy from babies or shooting aquatically-challenged fish in size-challenged barrels.

Translations

to ridicule or mock

• Icelandic: stríða (is), grínast, taka vindinn úr

• Russian: насмеха́ться (ru) n (nasmexátʹsja), издева́ться (ru) n (izdevátʹsja), дразни́ть (ru) n (draznítʹ)

See also

• take the piss