take the mickey (out of someone)

idiomatic phrase

British, informal

: to make fun of someone

Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. … "Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.

—J. K. Rowling

"They're my favorite band, so whatever they do, I'm a fan. I occasionally take the mickey out of Mick, but nobody takes the mickey out of Keith Richards and gets away with it."

—Pete Townsend

Examples of take the mickey (out of someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His calls to his fellow Slough Housers go unanswered until Louisa (Harlots actress Rosalind Eleazar), always eager to take the mickey out of the cocky hacktivist, answers and explains that their boss, heavy-drinking, gas-passing Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), lied to Roddy to get him out of his hair. —Hayden Mears, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above