To take the piss is a British slang expression meaning to tease or ridicule. Regional slangs See also Yorkshire colloquialisms, London slang, Cockney rhyming slang Differences with American slang Spelling An idiom is a Phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal Definition, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only Take the mickey (or variations) are euphemistic ways of conveying this expression where the word "piss" may be vulgar. A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak
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Usage
The term sometimes refers to a form of mockery in which the mocker exaggerates the other person's characteristics; pretending to take on their attitudes, etc. , in order to make them look silly.
The phrase is in common usage throughout British society, employed by headline writers in broadsheet newspapers[1] and tabloids[2] as well as colloquially and is also used in English speaking countries such as Australia. [3][4]
In colloquial usage, 'taking the piss' is also used to refer to someone or something that makes a claim which is not in line with a recognised agreement e. g. an invoice which amounts to double the quoted price with no explanation could be said to 'take the piss', or likewise if something consistently misses a deadline.
Origin
"Take the mickey" is an abbreviated form of the Cockney rhyming slang "take the mickey bliss"[5] ("mickey" being slang for penis[6]), meaning to "take the piss [out of someone]". Rhyming slang is a form of Slang in which a word is replaced either by another word or phrase that rhymes with it or by the first word of such a phrase in which The penis (plural penises, penes The phrase has been noted since the 1930s. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression.
Alternate theories of origin
An alternate, unverified, and unlikely theory of etymology is that "mickey" is a contraction of "micturition" (i. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time Urination, also known as micturition, voiding, and more rarely emiction, is the process of disposing Urine from the Urinary bladder e. , piss),[7] "mickey" being a suitable alternative when in the company of those liable to be offended by "piss".
It has also been suggested that "mickey" in this context is an ethnic slur for an Irish person (from the surname prefix Mc-), and to "take the mickey" originally meant to taunt the Irish and parody their accents. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate A family name or last name is a type of Surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs
References
- ^ Waxwork sculptor lampoons Saatchi in new book | UK news | The Observer
- ^ Are Jordan and Peter taking the Mickey? | the Daily Mail
- ^ Taking the Mickey - smh.com.au
- ^ To mitigate Gibbs outburst is simply taking the Mickey - Cricket - Sport
- ^ Martin, Gary. Take the Mickey. The Phrase Finder. Retrieved on 2008-01-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain
- ^ Mickey - Dictionary of sexual terms
- ^ Origins of British Swear-words at BBC
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