taking the mickey
phrase, idiomInformal
A British English slang term. Browse all British slang.
What it means
Mocking someone; making fun of them.
Being unreasonable or taking advantage. Forty pounds for that? They're taking the mickey.
In use
Are you taking the mickey out of my accent?
Six quid for a coffee — they're taking the mickey.
Where it comes from
A sanitised version of a cruder phrase; mickey is a euphemistic substitution. The polite form is now far more common than the original.
Other forms
- Similar terms:
- taking the mick, having a laugh