Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Neil.

Li: And I'm Li. Neil, is that a new watch?

Neil: es I got it !"om m# pa"ents.
Li: $h that's nice.
Neil: %id I tell #o& I'm going on holida# soon?
Li: No, whe"e?
Neil: To Hawaii.
Li: Wow, how can #o& a!!o"d a holida# to Hawaii?
Neil: '# in(laws paid !o" it. We told them it was too e)pensi*e +&t, #o& know, we ,&st need
a holida#.
Li: Hmm- so #o&" in(laws ha*e paid !o" #o&" holida# too-
Neil: I'm thinking o! gi*ing &p wo"k act&all#, Li.
Li: .i*ing &p wo"k? What a+o&t the cost o! li*ing?
Neil: $h m# wi!e can wo"k. o& know what, Li? I "eall# need to mo*e into a +igge" ho&se
in a nice" pa"t o! London.
Li: /&t #o& ,&st said #o&'"e going to gi*e &p wo"k0 How can #o& a!!o"d a new ho&se i! #o&
ha*e no ,o+?
Neil: '# g"andpa"ents will gi*e me some mone#. The# alwa#s do.
Li: Neil, the"e's a wo"d !o" people like #o&. o&'"e a sponge"0
Neil: A sponge"0? How "&de0
A: When I was at &ni*e"sit# I had no mone# at all. I had to +&# second(hand clothes and I
co&ld ne*e" a!!o"d to go o&t !o" a meal e*en tho&gh I had a pa"t(time ,o+.
/: eah me too, +&t the"e we"e all these othe" st&dents with ca"s and designe" la+els eating
in e)pensi*e "esta&"ants all paid !o" +# %add#.
A: What a +&nch o! sponge"s.
/: eah.
Li: A sponge" is a pe"son who gets mone#, !ood and othe" things !"om othe" people witho&t
pa#ing. $!ten it's &sed *e"# negati*el# to desc"i+e people who li*e o!! state +ene!its.
Neil: 1&st like a sponge.
Li: es, a sponge.
Neil: A sponge soaks &p the wate" all a"o&nd it. A sponge" soaks &p gi!ts, !ood and mone#
witho&t wo"king. And it can also +e &sed as a *e"+ 2 to sponge o!! someone.
Li: It's also a *e"+ 'to sponge o!! someone.' /e ca"e!&l to &se the wo"d 'o!!' with this *e"+.
Neil: Whethe" it's a *e"+ o" a no&n, it's still not a nice thing to sa# a+o&t someone, Li.
Li: Well I'm so""# to +e "&de, +&t it's t"&e 2 #o& a"e a sponge".
Neil: o&'"e "ight. I'm a sponge" +&t I'm p"o&d o! it. %o #o& !anc# taking me o&t !o"
dinne"? The"e's a !antastic "esta&"ant I'*e +een meaning to go to. It's *e"# e)pensi*e, +&t
#o& can a!!o"d it Li.
Li: He's t"#ing to sponge a meal o!! me0 What a sponge"-