mickey mouse

noun, (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.
Origin
1930-35; after the animated cartoon character created by Walt Disney, orig. with reference to the banal dance-band music played as background to the cartoons
British Dictionary definitions for mickey mouse

Mickey Mouse

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
Word Origin
C20: from the name of a cartoon character created by Walt Disney, known for his simple-minded attitudes
Word Origin and History for mickey mouse

Mickey Mouse

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.

mickey mouse in Culture

Mickey Mouse definition


A cartoon character created by Walt Disney. Mickey's image is so widespread that he has achieved the status of myth.

Slang definitions & phrases for mickey mouse

Mickey Mouse

adjective phrase
  1. (also micky-mouse) Sentimental and insincere: A ''mickymouse band'' is a real corny outfit/ to the dead beat of mind-smothered Mickey Mouse music (1935+ Musicians)
  2. Showy; meretricious, merely cosmetic: And I don't think Mickey Mouse changes are going to work (1951+)
  3. Shoddy; inferior: The carpentry work was just Mickey Mouse (1960s+)
  4. Simple; elementary; easy: A ''Mickey Mouse course'' means a ''snap course'' (1950s+ Students)
  5. Petty; inconsequential: A Mickey Mouse survey of popular culture/ A lot of the Mickey Mouse stuff has been eliminated from the program/ got picked up on a Mickey Mouse thing in August by the State Patrol (1951+ Students)
noun phrase
  1. : It's hard to get past the mickey mouse and see what the hell they're driving at (1960s+)
  2. : That book's pure mickey mouse (1960s+)
  3. A blunder due to confusion and stupidity; screw-up: The only big Mickey Mouse was a brief shortage of jungle boots (1960s+ Armed forces)
  4. (also Mickey) A stupid person, esp a white person or a police officer (1970s+ Black)
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]