# take the mickey

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/take-the-mickey
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To ridicule or mock.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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

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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.