to raise one eyebrow ever so slightly that MNHQ have used this turn of phrase?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

A discussion of the day:

Interviews - taking the piss?

Now, call me old fashioned, but did they really mean to say that?

There is a very scatalogical side to Mumsnet, what with the resident poo troll and Mumsnetters describing themselves as "losing their shit" or "not giving a shit" hither and thither.

I don't know why, but I don't expect it from HQ.

Consider this bosom hoiked.

I'm a hypocrite. I can say piss, fuck, shit and cunt when I'm posting here. I do however expect higher standards from HQ, it helps to maintain a degree of civility.

Are we still allowed to say someone is starting up the urine extraction pump?

'Taking the Mickey' is rhyming slang for 'taking the piss'.

I don't see 'piss' as swearing, just slightly crude, similar to the word 'fart'. Doesn't bother me at all.

Mickey is offensive to Irish people. Somebody told me this.

My nan was Irish... i wonder if she knew? I didn't know it was offensive.

Extracting the urine would be a little more ladylike. And you know how much store us mumsnetters set on being ladylike!

If Irish people you know are taking offence then you need to tell them to Google the phrase and its origins.

"Taking the piss" was turned, in Cockney rhyming slang, into "taking the Micky Bliss". Then shortened to "taking the Micky"

I am from an Irish origin family and I have never known anyone in my family be offended, we all used the phrase - although my dad tended to say "extracting the Michael " in his version of a posh English voice

I'm Irish and not offended

Spoke to my bf who's from Dublin and he's not offended

Really op, given all the swearing on this website your objection is taking the piss.

It's Mumsnet.

MNHQ are not some special elite force upholding the use of language.

Mumsnet advertise the site as 'the one with the swearing'

Hoik all you want, but why should you get to change it, this site is what it is. and it's the way most of us like it.

I've posted on this site almost every day for the past 10 years, so I know very well what it's like. I swear quite a bit myself.

I didn't say I was offended by the word "piss".

I said wibu to raise one eyebrow "ever so slightly" at the use of it on their home page.

But never mind, run away with it and make out I'm a fuddy duddy who'd be better off at NetMums, why not .

I didn't know it was advertised as "the one with the swearing" to be fair. I seem to remember a while ago they were asking for people to consider not swearing so much because MN was being blocked from search engines in places like libraries!

I'll report my post and see what they say.

AIBU?
Yup!
No I am not. You're all being mean!

I'm with you OP. Love the fact that this is a sweary place, but HQ should only do it if it's damn funny, and 'taking the piss' doesn't make the grade.

What's the objection to it. Wing on the homepage but not elsewhere on MN?

Why is the homepage special?

Mickey doesn't rhyme with piss, tho there's a bit of assonance.

bibbity I completely get where you are coming from. Perhaps too much James Bond(ish) influence, but 'HQ" should be above the scatological. After all, they are up there somewhere

As to regular posters swearing, as you were people. I have learned so very many magical turns of phrase here it is an education!

I dislike all these scatalogical phrases. I don't even want to write them and would never say them.

I really hate that awful "boils my ..." Never heard it anywhere apart from MN.

I'm Irish and Mick is not a derogatory name for a man, nor is taking the mickey offensive!

Yes, mickey is used in certain parts of Dublin for a penis. Mickey money, for example, refers to children's allowance .

Having a paddy is offensive.

And taking the piss should be inoffensive everywhere in the world both real and virtual!

I'm really struggling to understand what the problem us.
You don't like the fact they used 'take the piss'
Mumnets are not exactly known for being softly softly, and also, it's hardly swearing.
I don't get it.

It reflects the posts/posters on here, which is no bad thing. I'm slightly eyebrow raised too, though, OP, that somebody said it. Looking forward to hearing what they'll say

Complete over reaction.

Taking the piss....

...so what?

Another Irish one here. Taking the mickey is seen as a polite way of saying taking the piss. But you have to use mickey in the right context for it to mean a penis.

Context is everything

I used to know someone who had a contract for taking urine samples from people. (Not really sure why. Maybe corporate random drug tests?) His business was called "Taking the Piss".