Taking the Piss

Taking the piss is my second favorite British slang.  However, since I am Canadian, I would like any British people to correct me.  I am aware that Australia also uses this phrase, so it is fairly widespread.
Taking the piss means to tease, trick, ridicule, or make fun of someone.  In North America we would say, “Screw with”, or “F*** with”.  Additionally, the phrase can be used to describe a situation where someone is taking advantage of others or when something is unfair.

Example:  She took the piss by telling him that his ferocious lion painting looked like a helpless kitten.
Example:  My boss asked me to work late but he never pays me overtime.  He’s really taking the piss. 

The word piss means urine (or pee).  IMPORTANT:  It is worth noting that this phrase should not be confused with taking a piss.  Taking a piss means to urinate.  So, if you say, “I need to take a piss,” you are saying that you need to use the toilet.  This is quite colloquial, so please don’t use this in a formal situation.  Whispering, “Excuse, where is the washroom?” is a much more appropriate way to request a toilet break.
This phrase gets more vulgar (rude) when you learn about its origin.  Take the piss comes from the idiom, piss-proud.   A piss-proud is a morning erection caused by the buildup of urine in the bladder.  This pressure can stimulate the nerves that cause an erection.  Another term for this is, “morning wood.”  Since the erection is caused by a full bladder and not sexual stimulation, it is not a true erection.   Metaphorically, the erection is someone’s pride.  If you take the piss out of the piss-proud, you are taking away their pride.  For example, you can use sarcasm to hurt someone’s pride.  In this case you would be correct to say that you took the piss out of them.  Over time this phrase was shortened to take the piss.

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