Mickey Mouse

adj. Slang

1. Unimportant; trivial: "It's a Mickey Mouse operation compared to what goes on in Lyons or Paris" (Jack Higgins).

2. Intellectually unchallenging; simple: His Mickey Mouse assignments soon bored the students.

[After the cartoon character Mickey Mouse, , created by Walt Disney.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Mickey Mouse

adj (sometimes not capitals)

1. ineffective; trivial; insignificant: he settled for a Mickey Mouse job instead of something challenging.

2. (Music, other) chiefly US and Canadian (of music, esp that of dance bands) mechanical or spiritless

[C20: from the name of a cartoon character created by Walt Disney, known for his simple-minded attitudes]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mick′ey mouse`

adj. (often caps.)

1. trite; corny: mickey mouse music.

2. petty or trivial: mickey mouse activities.

[1935–40, Amer.; after the animated cartoon character created by Walt Disney]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

Mickey Mouse - a fictional mouse created in animated film strips by Walt Disney

Translations

Micky Maus

Mickey Mouse

n → Mickymaus f

adj attr (inf) company etc → lachhaft; Mickey Mouse ears → Mickymaus-Ohren pl; Mickey Mouse money → Spielgeld nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

'The world has literally become a Mickey Mouse operation...

Cultural imperialism

And here's me thinking they were a Mickey Mouse operation.

Musical? You've Scotty be kidding.. Des Clarke Listen to Des weekdays on the Capital FM Breakfast Show PLAYING THE FUEL Movie star Vin Diesel

"You have to be careful it's not a Mickey Mouse operation and that it's set up property.

Spa experts wary of cosmetic procedures

Union bosses claim the vessel, which arrived to take a cargo of scrap metal, is a 'Mickey Mouse operation'.

Crew remain stranded on detained ship

CONDITIONS on a cargo ship named the Donald Duckling are claimed to be so bad it has been branded a 'Mickey Mouse operation.' The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, based at the Port of Tyne at South Shields, has detained the Panamanian-registered vessel and say that it is not seaworthy.

Ship is held over safety fears

The union called a press conference to shame the organizers but it was them that were shamed instead when the press conference turned into a scene from an Nigerian movie with some of the artists calling the union a mickey mouse operation and a waste of their time and money.

To err is human, deal with it and move on

"The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a regulated body, not a Mickey Mouse operation, and you could end up with a delisted company that may or may not have some money.

Owners could lose a fortune in sale

This is not some Mickey Mouse operation, but the Fisheries have one patrol boat for the whole of Lough, with another one to supplement it occasionally.

FISHY BUSINESS; Criminal gangs plundering Lough Neagh's fish stocks

`Much respected' Peter O'Dowd-aren't you embarrassed to be control of this Mickey Mouse operation? The dogs and owners deserve better.

Ridiculous; A Romford regular complains about the orange hare and the bookies

In an astonishing outburst, Mr Wilson said Newsnight Scotland was a "Mickey Mouse operation" when he appeared on the programme.

Watch your back, Salmond; KNIVES OUT TWO

Indeed, for too long the channel was perceived to be literally a Mickey Mouse operation, with a kid-oriented daytime focus that kids found unhip and an inconsistent adult-targeted nighttime lineup.

Mouse builds basics

As author and travel writer William Ecenbarger puts it: "The world has literally become a Mickey Mouse operation...the USA reigns supreme as an exporter of music, film, television, sports, food, and hundreds of consumer products."

Cultural invasion