[mickey mouse(2)]{n.} ({derogatory}) A stupid person; a policeman; a white man (as used by blacks).

[midair] See: UP IN THE AIR(2) also IN MIDAIR.

[middle] See: CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM, IN THE MIDDLE.

[middle ground]{n.} A place halfway between the two sides of an argument; a compromise. •/John wanted to go running. Bill said it was too hot. Tom took the middle ground and suggested a hike./ •/The committee found a middle ground between the two proposals./

[middleman]{n.} A person or small business standing in an intermediary position between two parties. •/A retail merchant is the middleman between the factory and the consumer./

[middle of the road]{n. phr.} A way of thinking which does not favor one idea or thing too much; being halfway between two different ideas. •/The teacher did not support the boys or the girls in the debate, but stayed in the middle of the road./

[middle-of-the-road]{adj.} Favoring action halfway between two opposite movements or ideas; with ideas halfway between two opposite sides; seeing good on both sides. •/The men who wrote the Constitution followed a middle-of-the-road plan on whether greater power belonged to the United States government or to the separate states./ •/Senator Jones favors a middle-of-the-road policy in the labor-management dispute./

[midfield stripe]{n.} The line across the center of a football field; the 50-yard line. •/The visitors were able to cross the midfield stripe once during the whole game./

[midnight oil] See: BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL.

[midstream] See: CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM or CHANGE HORSES IN MIDSTREAM.

[might] See: WITH MIGHT AND MAIN.

[mighty] See: HIGH-AND-MIGHTY.

[mile] See: GIVE ONE AN INCH AND HE WILL TAKE A MILE, JAW DROP or JAW DROP A MILE, MISS BY A MILE, MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE.

[mile markers]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Small signs along interstate highways usually bearing a number. •/The Smokey is located at 131 mile marker./

[miles away]{adj. phr.} Inattentive; not concentrating. •/When Betty said, "We have theater tickets for tonight," Ken didn’t react as his mind was miles away./

[milk] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[mill] See: RUN-OF-THE-MILL, THROUGH THE MILL.

[mill around]{v. phr.} To move impatiently in no particular direction. •/The crowd milled around, waiting for the arrival of the president./

[million] See: FEEL LIKE A MILLION, LOOK LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS.

[millstone around one’s neck]{n. phr.} An intolerable burden. •/Max said that his old car was a millstone around his neck./ Compare: MONKEY ON ONE’S BACK.

[mince words]{v. phr.} To choose words carefully for the sake of politeness or deception. •/I like people who speak frankly and truthfully without mincing words./

[mind] See: CROSS ONE’S MIND or PASS THROUGH ONE’S MIND, GIVE A PIECE OF ONE’S MIND, HALF A MIND, IN MIND, IN ONE’S MIND’S EYE, MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, NEVER MIND, ON ONE’S MIND, OUT OF ONE’S HEAD or OUT OF ONE’S MIND, PUT IN MIND OF, READ ONE’S MIND.

[mind like a steel trap]{n. phr.} A very quick and understanding mind, which is quick to catch an idea. •/Henry is not fond of sports, but he has a mind like a steel trap./ •/A successful lawyer must have a mind like a steel trap./

[mind one’s own business]{v. phr.} To not interfere in the affairs of others. •/He finally got tired of her criticism and told her to mind her own business./

[mind one’s p’s and q’s]{v. phr.} To be very careful what you do or say; not make mistakes. •/When the principal of the school visited the class the students all minded their p’s and q’s./ •/If you wish to succeed you must mind your p’s and q’s./ (From the old U.S. Navy when sailors marked on a board in the bar how many Pints and Quarts of liquor they had taken. It was bad manners to cheat.) Syn.: WATCH ONE’S STEP.

[mind-reader] See: READ ONE’S MIND.

[mind you]{v. phr.}, {informal} I want you to notice and understand. •/Mind you, I am not blaming him./

[mine] See: BACK TO THE SALT MINES, RUN OF THE MILL or RUN OF THE MINE.

[mine of information]{n. phr.} A person, a book, etc., that is a valuable source of information. •/A dictionary can be a mine of information./ •/He is a mine of information on the stock market./

[minority leader]{n. phr.} The leader of the political party that has fewer votes in a legislative house. •/The minority leader of the Senate supported the bill./ •/The minority leader in the House of Representatives held a caucus./ Compare: MAJORITY LEADER.

[mint money] See: COIN MONEY.

[minutes of the meeting]{n. phr.} The notes taken by the recording secretary; of an official body or an association recording of what was said and transacted during the given session. •/"Shall we accept the minutes of our last meeting as read by the secretary?" the chairman asked./

[misfire]{v.} To fail to appeal; fall flat. •/The standup comic’s jokes misfired with the audience./ Compare: GO OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON.

[miss] See: HEART SKIP A BEAT or HEART MISS A BEAT.

[miss a trick]{v. phr.} To fail to see, hear, or notice something of even the slightest importance. •/He never misses a trick when it comes to the stock market./

[miss by a mile]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To shoot at something and be far from hitting it; not hit near. •/Jack’s first shot missed the target by a mile./ 2. To be very wrong; be far from right. •/Lee tried to guess on the examination, but his answers missed by a mile./ 3. To fail badly; not succeed at all. •/John Brown wanted to be governor but in the election he missed by a mile./

[missing link] n. 1. Something needed to complete a group; a missing part of a chain of things. •/A 1936 penny was the missing link in John’s collection of pennies./ •/The detective hunted for the fact that was the missing link in the case./ 2. An unknown extinct animal that was supposed to be a connection between man and lower animals. •/The missing link would be half man and half ape./

[miss is as good as a mile] It is the same if one fails or misses something by much or by little. — A proverb. •/We thought Tom had a home run but the ball went foul by inches. A miss is as good as a mile./

[Missouri] See: FROM MISSOURI.

[miss out]{v.}, {informal} To fail; lose or not take a good chance; miss something good. •/Jim’s mother told him he missed out on a chance to go fishing with his father because he came home late./ •/You missed out by not coming with us; we had a great time./ Compare: LOSE OUT.

[miss the boat] also [miss the bus] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fail through slowness; to put something off until too late; do the wrong thing and lose the chance. •/Mr. Brown missed the boat when he decided not to buy the house./ •/In college he didn’t study enough so he missed the boat and failed to pass./ •/Ted could have married Lena but he put off asking her and missed the boat./

[miss the point]{v. phr.} To be unable to comprehend the essence of what was meant. •/The student didn’t get a passing grade on the exam because, although he wrote three pages, he actually missed the point./