adjective (often initial capital letters) Informal.
- trite and commercially slick in character; corny: mickey mouse music.
- useless, insignificant, or worthless: mickey mouse activities just to fill up one’s time.
- trivial or petty: mickey mouse regulations.
adjective (sometimes not capitals) slang
- ineffective; trivial; insignificanthe settled for a Mickey Mouse job instead of something challenging
- mainly US and Canadian (of music, esp that of dance bands) mechanical or spiritless
cartoon mouse character created 1928 by U.S. animator Walt Disney (1901-1966). As an adjective meaning “small and worthless” it dates from 1936, originally used especially of mediocre dance-band music, a put-down based on the type of tunes played as background in cartoon films. A cartoon character created by Walt Disney. Mickey’s image is so widespread that he has achieved the status of myth.