take the mickey
To ridicule or mock.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Stop taking the mickey out of my new haircut.”
“My friends were taking the mickey because I wore a suit to the casual party.”
“He realized his colleagues were taking the mickey when they started mimicking his accent during the team meeting.”
disputed origin
Possibly from Cockney rhyming slang “to take the Mickey Bliss” (for take the piss).
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 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.
- 04
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 05
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 06
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 07
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
- 08
I take it
Used to express one's understanding of another's position.
Last updated August 10, 2026