Mickey Mouse

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Mickey Mouse

Where it comes from

From Mickey, a diminutive of the given name Michael, + mouse, referring to the species of the character. Walt Disney chose the name Mickey Mouse in 1928, changing it from Mortimer Mouse at the suggestion of his wife, Lillian, who felt the original name was too formal for the character's playful nature.

The derogatory adjectival sense developed in the US after WWII, originally applied to dance music, then broadened.

proper noun Mickey Mouses · Mickey Mice

The most famous Disney cartoon character, an anthropomorphic mouse with a falsetto voice and a cheerful disposition.

adjective

derogatory, not comparable Of dubious or inferior quality, poorly-run; too easy to be taken seriously, trivial. Silly greed and social ambition and being an orphan seem to have done the job—and maybe the times. The author uses Mickey Mouse historiography to recall the times:
Similar: dodgy, noddy, shoddy
Australia, not comparable, slang Grouse, excellent.

noun

slang Scouse.
slang House.

Translations

Every language

name Disney character

Español	Mickey Mouse, Ratón Mickey, Ratón Miguelito
한국어	미키 마우스 Miki Mauseu
日本語	ミッキーマウス Mikkī Mausu
中文	米老鼠 Mǐ Lǎoshǔ, 米凱鼠 /米凯鼠 Mǐkǎishǔ, 米奇老鼠 Mǐqí Láoshǔ, 米奇鼠 Mǐqíshǔ
हिन्दी	मिकी माउस mikī māus
Português	Rato Mickey, Mickey Mouse
Français	Mickey Mouse
Deutsch	Micky Maus
Italiano	Topolino
Ελληνικά	Μίκυ Μάους Míky Máous, μικιμάους mikimáous
Română	Miki Maus, Mickey Mouse
Русский	Ми́кки Ма́ус Míkki Máus
العربية	مِيكِي مَاوْس mīkī māws
עברית	מיקי מאוס miki maus

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MLA

"Mickey Mouse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mickey%20mouse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Mickey Mouse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mickey%20mouse

Chicago

"Mickey Mouse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mickey%20mouse.

BibTeX

@misc{mickey_mouse_2026,
  title = {Mickey Mouse},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mickey%20mouse},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}