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  • Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

  • I'm Feifei and... excuse me please...

  • Rob, can we have your attention please!

  • Rob: Err, oh alright then... hello, I'm Rob.

  • Feifei: Rob, could you take your feet off the table please!

  • Rob: Oh, alright then. There you go...

  • Feifei, do I have to present this programme today?

  • Feifei: Why, what's wrong?

  • Rob: Well, I've done so much work already

  • and according to my watch, I should be having

  • a coffee break now.

  • Feifei: Really! Rob's being lazy because he

  • was out late last night.

  • Rob, there is a phrase to describe your condition.

  • Rob: Oh yes. Overworked? Energetic?

  • Feifei: No - the opposite. It's bone idle -

  • literally, you are idle right through to

  • your bones. In other words, you are very lazy!

  • Rob: It's a great phrase Feifei but that doesn't

  • describe me. Look I've just moved my little finger.

  • Feifei: Ha ha! I think we had better hear some more

  • examples while you move the rest of your body.

  • Examples: The doctor has told my brother

  • to do more exercise,

  • but he won't do it, he's bone idle.

  • You're bone idle - you've been at home all day

  • and you're still in your pyjamas!

  • My boyfriend's bone idle -

  • he won't even get off the sofa to answer the phone.

  • Feifei: So the phrase 'bone idle' means very lazy -

  • like Rob! Hey Rob, I hear it's Dan's birthday

  • today and he's brought a cake in for us all to share.

  • Rob: Cake! I love cake - great, come on let's get some

  • before it all eaten.

  • Feifei: Ah, you're moving now -

  • but you're not going anywhere

  • until you've finished this programme.

  • Rob: Come on then, tell me what to say.

  • Feifei: Just read this script.

  • Rob: OK let me see. Hold on, the script says

  • that you're about to say 'it's not Dan's birthday,

  • it's a joke.'

  • Feifei: Sorry Rob, it is a joke -

  • but it did stop you from being bone idle!

  • Rob: Right, that's it. I'm not going to do

  • anymore work for the rest of the day.

  • Feifei: No change there.

  • Rob, I've got a new name for you.

  • Rob: What's that?

  • Feifei: Lazy bones.

  • Rob: You're cruel.

  • Feifei: Bye.

  • Rob: Bye-bye.

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

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