mickey mouse

American  

adjective

(often initial capital letters)

1. trite and commercially slick in character; corny.

   mickey mouse music.

2. useless, insignificant, or worthless.

   mickey mouse activities just to fill up one's time.

3. trivial or petty.

   mickey mouse regulations.

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Mickey Mouse British  

adjective

1. ineffective; trivial; insignificant

   he settled for a Mickey Mouse job instead of something challenging

2. (of music, esp that of dance bands) mechanical or spiritless

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Mickey Mouse Cultural  

1. A cartoon character created by Walt Disney. Mickey's image is so widespread that he has achieved the status of myth.

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Etymology

Origin of mickey mouse

First recorded in 1930–35; after the animated cartoon character created by Walt Disney, originally with reference to the banal dance-band music played as background to the cartoons

Example Sentences

He was reportedly wearing jeans and a mickey mouse shirt when he escaped.

From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2016

I need you to perform at her party with specifically a minnie mouse dead-mow-five head… not a mickey mouse dead-mow-five head.

From Time • Mar. 2, 2016

"There's no economy in the world can grow and provide public services with air, you know, it's mickey mouse economics."

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2015

I think what is happening from a public point of view looks a bit mickey mouse and that is not good for the reputation of the university.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2011

It has been suggested that the `disney' will become a benchmark unit for animation graphics performance. :mickey mouse program: /n./

From The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0, 24 Jul 1996 by Raymond, Eric S.