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Glite Dictionary
to scunge on the bill

to scunge on the bill

9.9
To avoid paying your share of a bill secretly
  • phrasal verb
  • Slang
translation icon : escabullirse de pagar
  • He always tries to scunge on the bill when we go out to eat together.

Examples

  • She accused him of scunging on the bill after he disappeared just before the check arrived.

  • Don't even think about scunging on the bill this time—everyone needs to pay their share.

  • Don't scunge on the bill this time!

  • She always scunges on the bill when we go out.

  • He always tries to scunge on the bill when we go out to eat together.

  • Don't even think about scunging on the bill this time—everyone needs to pay their share.

  • She accused him of scunging on the bill after he disappeared just before the check arrived.

Synonyms

to scunge off
vsto scunge on the bill
  • Offensive
9.9

To take free things or help from other people without giving anything back

avoid paying a fair share when costs are split, acting slyly and selfishly

Antonyms

to settle
140 3.4

To pay money you owe

to cop one's whack
  • Australian
9.9

To get your fair share of money or a reward

How Responsible

to pay up
  • Informal
35 3.6
to pick up
77 2.8
to scunge on the bill
  • Slang
9.9
to skip out
  • Informal
22 7.2

Surface Forms

scunge on the bill infinitive
scunged on the bill past
scunged on the bill past participle
scunging on the bill present participle
scunges on the bill third person singular

Morphology

scunge + on + the + bill

The meaning 'to avoid paying one's share' is directly derivable from combining 'scunge' (a person who avoids spending or a stingy person) with 'on the bill' (relating to the check); the preposition 'on' signals the relation to the bill so the overall sense is compositional. Although colloquial and involving a noun-to-verb conversion, the parts transparently point to shirking payment, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrase scunge on the bill comes from the image of someone who scunges like a sponge, taking food and drink and then slipping away from the bill. One popular story says 'scunge' was used for people who hang around to get free things, so scunge on the bill means 'to avoid paying'.