sponge a habitual drunkard
- sponge a habitual drunkard
Punning perhaps on the soaking up of liquid and his willingness to accept free refills, sponging on others. The British sponging-house was not an inn but a temporary prison for debtors, where they might be relieved, or sponged, of their cash and valuables before passing into a long-stay debtors' prison.
How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms.
R. W. Holder.
2014.
Look at other dictionaries:
drunkard — Synonyms and related words: Bowery bum, LSD user, acidhead, addict, alcoholic, alcoholic addict, bacchanal, bacchanalian, beachcomber, beggar, beggarly fellow, bibber, big drunk, blighter, bloat, blotter, boozehound, boozer, budmash, bum, bummer … Moby Thesaurus
drunk — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. intoxicated, tipsy. n. drunkard, sot, alcoholic. See drinking. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. intoxicated, inebriated, drunken, tipsy, befuddled, muddled, overcome, under the influence, flushed,… … English dictionary for students
