Mickey Mouse

The adjective sense developed during the Second World War, after a large quantity of low-quality counterfeit Mickey Mouse watches flooded the UK.

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Mickey Mouse

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

• Mickey Mouse cap
• Mickey Mouse glove
• Mickey Mouse hat
• Mickey Mouse Protection Act
• Mickey Mousing

Mickey Mouse (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Of inferior quality.
   • 1983 November 21, “Rangers get past Quebec in Overtime”, in Miami Herald:

     "They are putting a Mickey Mouse operation on the ice," added Gretzky, who extended apologies to New Jersey goaltenders Ron Low and Chico Resch.

   • 1991 April 20, CNN_Novak:

     You mean, somebody who, for example, is a retired Army officer, has been teaching, as you do in the Army about half the time for about 30 years, you mean he couldn't go in and teach in the school' cause he didn't take some Mickey Mouse course in education at a state university?

   • 1996 February 11, Dave van Dyck, “Braves, Indians Are Teams to Beat Again; Series Repeat Appears Likely As Camps Open”, in Chicago Sun-Times, SPORTS, page 18:

     California (78-67): This is no Mickey Mouse outfit, even though Disney is buying into the team. / The Angels didn't make many changes in personnel during the winter.

• dodgy
• noddy
• shoddy

• Mickeysoft