Definitions include: the real information or the proof, instruction, the know how, where, when, and why about something or someone. The origin of the phrase is someone vague, but it seems to come from the name Mickey (not Mickey Mouse). to mock, make fun of. Definitions include: to make a bad situation worse. 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), Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=take_the_mickey&oldid=61053780, English terms with redundant head parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. It dates from at least the 1930s in various forms; the oldest version recorded in print, from 1935, is to take the mike out of, as in this from a book with the title Cockney Cavalcade: “He wouldn’t let Pancake ‘take the mike’ out of him”. Other words sites Definitions include: to have to go take a shit. take the Mickey: [verb] to mock, make fun of. As the form first recorded is already elliptical, either the rhyming slang is actually older than the 1930s or some other source has to be looked for. Other sources indicate that the phrase derives from Cockney rhyming slang and the phrase "Mickey Bliss", although how the word "bliss" came to be associated with "Mickey" is unknown. Donate via PayPal. World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. The phrase “taking the mickey” had been noted in the 1930’s. This phrase is not new; the full phrase is "to take the Mickey (out of someone)" Britons have been using this figure of speech for decades, if not centuries. Affixes dictionary. Mar 09 2004, 6:40 PM. This page was last edited on 7 November 2020, at 20:25. To link to this term in a web page or blog, insert the following. Do you know where this expression comes from? Following that period came World War Two, in which soldiers from all corners of the British empire were fighting a common enemy, probably making it so, that the phrase got modified to a more commonly understood shape; Taking the piss. Mickey as a diminutive form of Michael has been common for many years, but how it got together with “bliss” is unknown, so we’ve no idea whether it is a reference to an Irish Mick. A It is, yes. Over time the capitalization was taken away, though some still use it. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Logged-in users can add themselves to the map. It's all from that bizarre Cockney Rhyming Slang Mickey Bliss- Piss, as in urine. Google has been penalizing this site in its search rankings for years. Definitions include: to get something to eat. Definitions include: to secretly add laxative to someone's drink with evil intent. World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. Definitions include: of a male, to urinate. Definitions include: McDonald's restaurant. Definitions include: extremely intoxicated. Login, Register, Login instantly with Facebook. Definitions include: the result of someone. on Feb 13 2006. 1999, Problems viewing this page? Definitions include: Someone being butthurt over having something, they do to others regularly, done to the them. 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) (intransitive, Britain, slang, idiomatic) To ridicule or mock. Definitions include: something you have now is worth more than two things you have just a chance of getting. And so another phrase, from at least the 40's, was "take the piss (out of someone)- the "out of "is usually implied "take the Mickey Bliss>Take the Mickey. the word is – not how mean it is.). New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. In the 1950s a mock-genteel version to extract the Michael became briefly fashionable. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-tak1.htmLast modified: 26 June 1999. To link to this term in a wiki such as Wikipedia, insert the following. Is it a euphemism for to take the piss? Does it have something to do with disdain for the Irish? Definitions include: having an opinion or belief prior to it becoming common or popular. Joking, doing something without intent. ), Your vote: None   (To vote, click the pepper. August 17. The English language is forever changing. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. Definitions include: taking a chance on something. Origin: Cockney rhyming slang ' take the Mickey Bliss', meaning 'take the piss' Stop taking the mickey! 11%  (See the most vulgar words. From Cockney rhyming slang “to take the Mickey Bliss” (for take the piss). Definitions include: walking, generally as opposed to driving. Last edited on Feb 13 2006. Average of 6 votes: Advertisement. Google has been lying about the penalty against this site for years. Taking the mickey is the act of trying to dupe someone by implying that they are similarly stupid. Another English phrase was "all piss and wind" meaning a self important blusterer. Making fun of someone or something. All rights reserved. Some wikis use a different format for links, so be sure to check the documentation. A less offensive way of saying taking the piss. It’s said to have its origin in the rhyming slang to take the mickey bliss, that means to take the piss. Mickey as a diminutive form of Michael has been common for many years, but how it got together with “bliss” is unknown, so we’ve no idea whether it is a reference to an Irish Mick. Definitions include: "Both people involved in a bad situation are to be blamed.". Copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. Definitions include: secret sexual activity with a person other than one's partner. PDF | On Jan 1, 2007, Jessica Milner Davis published ‘Taking the mickey’: a brave Australian tradition | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate