DRESSING ROOM HUMOUR？

Question

hello everyone, i'm new to here but i really like this helpful site much. =)

i meet with english phrases that i can't be clear with the meaning at times. is anyone here like to help me with the solution? dah, thanks very much!

i read in an article today where these phrases puzzled me: "He liked the dressing room humour, that mickey-taking, and he was trying to laugh at himself as well." / "He was an awkward customer to tangle with as he seemed at times to be all arms and legs.

DRESSING ROOM HUMOUR
MICKEY-TAKING
ALL ARMS AND LEGS

appreciate your help!!!!! :>

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

Hello Kano, I'm glad you like the site. Hope you found your way to the
mini-bar ok.

'Dressing rooms' and 'changing rooms' are where people go to change their
clothes before sports or theatrical performances. Where people - especially
males - are (1) in a state of undress (2) in close proximity, a certain amount
of rough humour ensues. (I'm not sure whether this happens everywhere, or
only in Western countries.)

This rough humour pays no heed to rank or status (lack of clothing is a
great leveller), and usually involves mock-insults, heavy irony, sarcasm,
etc.

The humour is 'dressing/changing room humour', and the mockery is
'mickey-taking'.

'He was all arms and legs': this is an affectionate way of saying 'he was an
uncoordinated, ungainly person, whose arms and legs appeared to be
everywhere at once'.

Often, 'all arms and legs' implies that the characteristic isn't entirely desirable
(you wouldn't want a ballet dancer to be 'all arms and legs'), but in a
defender, it's not necessarily a bad thing. The fact that the much-missed
footballer in question was also nicknamed 'Crazy Horse' gives you an idea
of his style of play.

MrP

King · Answer

I have no idea what "mickey-taking" is, but "all arms and legs" would mean "[very] clumsy" to me.

MrPedantic · Answer

Rhyming slang:

'Take the Mickey [Bliss]' = 'take the ***'.

MrPee

Kano · Answer

Hi MrP, it was very kind of you to clear my confusion.
I see clearly now what they meant in this article.
and again i think it is true that get to know the culture behind a language is of so much fun.

thanks again and hope i can lend a hand to anyone here, too. =)

DRESSING ROOM HUMOUR？

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬