# rats and mice

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rats-and-mice
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

dice

## Examples

- We rolled the rats and mice to decide who goes first.
- The game requires you to throw the rats and mice across the board to move your pieces.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.