Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to loiter, to ‘hang about’; thus do/have a mike, to loiter, to waste time.

1825		Egan Life of an Actor 28: To have a mike is to loiter away the time, when it might be more usefully or profitably employed [F&H].
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1887		W.E. Henley ‘Villon’s Good-Night’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 174: You sponges miking round the pubs, / You flymy titters fond of flam.
1894		A. Morrison Tales of Mean Streets (1983) 52: Very well, then, I mike, an’ I do it as a sacred duty.
1898		Hartlepool Mail 26 Feb. 6/4: Mike, to evade labour.
1930		(con. 1914–18) Brophy & Partridge Songs and Sl. of the British Soldier 139: Mike. — To dodge duty or to work half-heartedly.
1936		M. Harrison All the Trees were Green 100: We’ve plenty who come here to mike in pubs and tea-shops instead of getting on with the job.
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 153: I’d better be getting back on the job. I got me rent to earn. Don’t want Mr. Johnson to catch me miking.
1980		Barltrop & Wolveridge Muvver Tongue 97: An unauthorized rest is ‘having a mike’ or ‘miking’.

2. to steal, to make off with.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 737: earlier C.20.