Bone idle: The English We Speak - YouTube

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's 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.