Mickey-mouse
adjective, (often initial capital letters) Informal.
1.
trite and commercially slick in character; corny:
mickey mouse music.
2.
useless, insignificant, or worthless:
mickey mouse activities just to fill up one’s time.
3.
trivial or petty:
mickey mouse regulations.
adjective (sometimes not capitals) (slang)
1.
ineffective; trivial; insignificant: he settled for a Mickey Mouse job instead of something challenging
2.
(mainly US & Canadian) (of music, esp that of dance bands) mechanical or spiritless
cartoon mouse character created 1928 by U.S. animator Walt Disney (1901-1966). As an adjective meaning “small and worthless” it dates from 1936, originally used especially of mediocre dance-band music, a put-down based on the type of tunes played as background in cartoon films.
A cartoon character created by Walt Disney. Mickey’s image is so widespread that he has achieved the status of myth.
adjective phrase
noun phrase
verb phrase
To treat someone shabbily; ill-use someone; screw, shaft: ”I think we got Mickey Moused,” Williams said. ”My best pitcher is washed right down the drain, and I don’t like it” (1980s+)
[apparently this pejorative trend began after the wide distribution of cheap Mickey Mouse wrist watches, showing the cartoon character on the face, with his arms as the watch’s hands, which were regarded as shoddy, gimmicky, etc, at that time; the diminutive rodent continues to be extremely popular with children]
Read Also:
- Mickey mouse program
jargon The North American equivalent of a “noddy program”, i.e. trivial. The term doesn’t necessarily have the belittling connotations of mainstream slang “Oh, that’s just mickey mouse stuff!”; sometimes trivial programs can be very useful. [Jargon File] (1995-04-10)
- Mickle-mouthed
adjective having a disproportionately large mouth
- Mickle
[mik-uh l] /ˈmɪk əl/ adjective, Archaic. 1. great; large; much. /ˈmɪkəl/ adjective 1. great or abundant adverb 2. much; greatly noun 3. a great amount, esp in the proverb, mony a little makes a mickle 4. (Scot) a small amount, esp in the proverb, many a mickle maks a muckle adj. dialectal survival of Old […]
- Micky
[mik-ee] /ˈmɪk i/ noun, plural mickies. (sometimes initial capital letter) 1. (def 2).
- Miclp
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