# take the piss

idiom · Vulgar

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

## Meaning

To tease, ridicule or mock (someone).

## Examples

- My friends always take the piss out of my cooking.
- He didn't mean to upset you — he's just taking the piss, like he does with everyone.
- I realized he was taking the piss when he started mimicking my accent in front of the whole office during the lunch break.
- The comedian spent half her set taking the piss out of politicians, which the audience loved but the sponsors feared.

## Origin

The expression is possibly a development of the term *piss-proud*, a mid-20th century descriptor for one who presents a false or unearned sense of success. Within this framework, to take the piss out of someone was to deflate their unfounded pride through the application of mockery or disparagement. As the metaphorical use of *piss-proud* became dated, the phrase shifted in function. The act of taking the piss out of an individual came to refer to the disparagement itself, eventually detached from whether the subject possessed any particular vanity to be deflated. The shortened, intransitive form *taking the piss* later became the standard colloquialism for the general act of mockery. (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.