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# tooNeil: 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"-