this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2026
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British Problems
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British Problems
Complain about problems only a Brit would understand, the weather, trains, the people on the telly...
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It is "the" lol. Taking a piss means going to the toilet, taking the piss is taking the mick, ie behaving with a mocking disregard for others.
Wrt loafing around, you might be taking the piss if you're not doing something, eg your household chores. It's not the laying around that takes the piss, it's that you're not doing what you're supposed to do. It takes the piss out of others when they have to pick up the slack for you.
Like a lot of British phrases, there's some flexibility in its usage.
ok. I think im starting to understand the variety of ways I have seen it used on tv. This I think is the best explanation yet especially with the take the piss out of others. like that phrasing fits it better in my head.