free lunch
No-cost meal
Something given without cost or effort—but the phrase almost always appears in the negative: There's no such thing as a free lunch.
The idea is that apparent gifts come with hidden costs or obligations.
The expression likely originated with 19th-century American saloons that offered "free" food to patrons who bought drinks.
- no such thingAbsent from reality
- easy moneyProfit gained effortlessly
- something for nothingReward without contribution
- giveawayFree item or betraying clue
- gratisAt no expense
complimentary · handout · perquisite · freeriding · gift · benefit · too good to be true · meal · eat · Milton Friedman · dinner · cafeteria · school meals · meal vouchers · food · scam · cost · perk
- public schoolselementary school, middle school, high school, kindergarten, classroom
- Social Programswelfare office, unemployment benefits, disability benefits, TANF, family allowances
- Federal ProgramsSocial Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, SNAP
- food aidfood assistance, food relief, food stamps, food pantry, food donations
- food policyfood policy, food stamps, food aid, food assistance, food security
- government benefitsfood stamps, unemployment insurance, Social Security, disability benefits, public assistance
free lunchhidden cost
Unadvertised additional expense
strings attached · catch · trade-off · quid pro quo · fine print
free lunchzero-sum game
Competition where gains equal losses
hard truth · scarcity · trade-off · market price · externalities
free lunchdebt
Money owed another
obligation · indebtedness · strings attached · blood debt · social debt
free, freedom, lunch, freed, freely, lunchroom, lunchtime, lunches, freebie