ENGLISH
REFERENCE

take the mickey

idiom
Meaning

To ridicule or mock.


Origin

disputed origin

Possibly from Cockney rhyming slang “to take the Mickey Bliss” (for take the piss).

Examples
SIMPLE

Stop taking the mickey out of my new haircut.

CONTEXTUAL

My friends were taking the mickey because I wore a suit to the casual party.

COMPLEX

He realized his colleagues were taking the mickey when they started mimicking his accent during the team meeting.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    be taken ill

    To become ill.

  2. 02

    cross to take up

    Alternative form of cross to bear.

  3. 03

    forget to take one's medication this morning

    To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.

  4. 04

    get taken in

    To be fooled; to fall for.

  5. 05

    give and take

    A process of compromise or accommodation.

  6. 06

    give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

    Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

  7. 07

    have one's name taken

    To receive a yellow card.

  8. 08

    I take it

    Used to express one's understanding of another's position.

Last updated April 17, 2026