toss in the sponge Idiom

sponge on

live on as a dependent or parasite 依赖…生活；寄生于
He is too lazy to work and prefers to sponge on his brother．他懒得去工作，宁可让兄弟来养活他。
He's done no work for years，and lives by sponging on his relations．他几年没有做事，依赖亲戚过日子。

throw in the sponge

Idiom(s): throw in the towel AND throw in the sponge

Theme: STOP

to quit (doing something). (Informal.)
• When John could stand no more of Mary's bad temper, he threw in the towel and left.
• Don't give up now! It's too soon to throw in the sponge.

sponge bath|bath|sponge

n. A bath with a cloth or sponge and a little water. During the drought the family had only sponge baths. The family took sponge baths because they had no bathtub.

sponge on|sponge|sponge off

v. phr. To exploit parasitically; depend upon for support. He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go to work and sponges off his retired parents.

throw in the towel|sponge|throw|throw in|throw in

v. phr., informal To admit defeat; accept loss. After taking a beating for five rounds, the fighter's seconds threw in the sponge. When Harold saw his arguments were not being accepted, he threw in the towel and left.
Synonym: GIVE UP.

sponge

sponge
In addition to the idiom beginning with sponge, also see throw in the sponge.