British slang

[medeacallous]

No: HPFGUIDX 63299

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, danielle dassero <drdara at y...> 
wrote:
> In the use the use of the word mickey as slang is to
> slip someone some type of drug, but the way Ron uses
> it and others, I take it has a different meaning in
> the Uk, can someone help me out by explaining how they
> use it in the UK???
> Danielle



My understanding of the term is that is related to the perjorative 
term for Irish - 'Micks' or 'Mickeys'.  If you think of the 
stereotype of an Irishman, boastful, cheerful, maybe a little chippy 
(think Cruise in Far and Away)*, then 'taking the mickey' or 'taking 
the mick' is doing or saying something that 'takes the Irishman' out 
of a person.  Bursting their balloon of confidence (or over-
confidence), boastfulness, cheerfulness, pugilism, etc.

*not generalising, not defending generalisations, but describing a 
generalisation that exists in some English-speaking cultures.

MC