sponge off

sponge (something) off (of) (someone or something)

To beg for, borrow, or obtain something (usually money or food) as a handout from someone or something else. My brother's been sponging money off my parents ever since he dropped out of college. My roommate's nice, but she's always sponging food off of me, and I don't have the heart to tell her to stop.

See also: off, sponge

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

sponge off

v.

1. To wipe or clean the surface of someone or something with or as if with a sponge: After dinner, I cleared all the dishes and sponged off the table. The blackboard was very dirty, so the teacher told me to sponge it off.

2. To live by relying on the generosity of someone else: He sponged off his parents for years because they never insisted that he get a job.

See also: off, sponge

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.