verb Street Slang

take the mickey

TAYK-thuh-MIK-ee · verb · informal

To mock or tease; 'take the mick'.

Definitions

To mock, tease or make fun of someone; also 'take the mick'.

“Are you taking the mickey out of me?”

by community

Are you taking the mickey out of me?

British slang; likely from rhyming slang 'Mickey Bliss' (piss), i.e. 'take the piss'.

What does 'take the mickey' mean?

It means to mock, tease or make fun of someone, often by not taking them seriously. It's also shortened to 'take the mick'.

Where does 'take the mickey' come from?

It's likely a softened form of 'take the piss', thought to derive from the rhyming slang 'Mickey Bliss' for piss.

How do you use 'take the mickey' in a sentence?

You'd say something like 'Are you taking the mickey out of me?' when you suspect someone is teasing or winding you up.

Is 'take the mickey' rude?

It's mild and everyday. It stands in for the coarser 'take the piss', so it's generally considered inoffensive.