Forum Topic

A ponder for Wednesday

Why, when making fun of somebody, is it called "taking the mickey"?

Carol Burge ● 6371d5 Comments

Thanks Hugh. Someone told me it was short for 'God and St Benedict', cockneyfied to 'Gawd'n'Bennit' like the 'Stannit' call of the old Evening Standard sellers. It sounds a bit more cockney than New York, I must say.

Emily Hall ● 6371d

Emily, this is from the Brentford Site,TW8.RICHARD,S POSTING..A quick bit of googling reveals that "Gordon Bennett", as a more genteel way of saying "gor blimey" which in turn was a less blasphemous way of saying "God blind me", was named after the New York newspaper proprietor and playboy James Gordon Bennett Jr.  In 1868 Bennett sent one of his reporters, one Henry Morton Stanley, to Africa to "find Livingstone"...........

Hugh Telford ● 6371d

Quite - and who was Gordon Bennett when he was at home?!

Emily Hall ● 6371d

Oh, as easy as that...........Wonder if Mickey Bliss was a real person, if so bet he was happy his name was thought of so highly !

Carol Burge ● 6371d

Rhyming slang - Mickey Bliss

Emily Hall ● 6371d