take the piss

== English == === Etymology === Possibly from piss-proud (“falsely presenting as successful”). In which case taking the piss out of would mean deflating their false pride, usually through disparagement or mockery. As the piss-proud metaphor became dated, taking the piss out of someone came to refer to disparagement or mockery itself, regardless of the pride of the subject. Eventually the shortened, intransitive form taking the piss became common. === Pronunciation === === Verb === take the piss (third-person singular simple present takes the piss, present participle taking the piss, simple past took the piss, past participle taken the piss) (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, vulgar, slang, idiomatic, intransitive) To tease, ridicule or mock (someone). [with out of] To subject those present to teasing, ridicule or mockery, or to show contempt. To be outrageously unreasonable. ==== Usage notes ==== As this phrase may be found offensive, it is often bowdlerised to take the pee or censored in print as “take the p***” or, less commonly, “take the p—”. A common jocular euphemism is extract the urine, a formal equivalent of the literal meaning of the words. Not to be confused with take a piss. ==== Alternative forms ==== piss-take pisstake ==== Synonyms ==== extract the urine take the mickey rip the piss ==== Related terms ==== piss-taker ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== piss and wind take the wind out of someone's sails ==== References ====