What it means
To take the mickey means to mock, tease, or wind someone up for a laugh. It can be light matey banter or full-on piss-taking if they keep going. You can also say it when someone's being cheeky, unreasonable, or really pushing their luck.
Usage examples
"Are they being serious about the prices or just taking the mickey?"
"Stop taking the mickey out of my haircut, it cost me a fortune."
"He was only taking the mickey when he said your karaoke sounded professional, don't get carried away."
"They're taking the mickey with that service charge, no one's paying that and smiling."
"You're taking the mickey if you think I'm paying twelve quid for beans on toast."
Where it comes from
A polite stand-in for the cruder "take the piss", cleaned up so you can say it in front of your nan. Theories link the mickey to old rhyming slang, but the family-friendly version is the one that stuck.
Other ways to say it
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