English Reference
Idiom idiom

rats and mice

Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London
Meaning

dice

Examples
SIMPLE

“We rolled the rats and mice to decide who goes first.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The game requires you to throw the rats and mice across the board to move your pieces.”

COMPLEX

“With the stakes raised, he nervously clutched the rats and mice before casting them onto the wooden table.”

Origin

The appearance of dice rolling is similar to rodents running.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    dice roll

    Something unpredictable or unexpected.

  2. 02

    no dice

    An unacceptable alternative.

  3. 03

    roll of the dice

    A risky or uncertain attempt to do something, especially in an unfavourable situation.

  4. 04

    throw of the dice

    Synonym of roll of the dice.

Last updated June 7, 2026