proverb🎓 English idiom
there's no such thing as a free lunch
everything has a hidden cost
What it means
Nothing is truly free; everything that seems free actually has a hidden cost or obligation attached. It reminds people to be sceptical of offers that appear to cost nothing.
Words like “there's no such thing as a free lunch” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- The 'free' trial needs your card details, so there's no such thing as a free lunch.
- They offered free shares, but there's no such thing as a free lunch.
- Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch when a stranger is this generous.
- The gift came with strings attached, proving there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Where it comes from
The phrase echoes the 19th-century American saloon practice of offering 'free' food to drinkers, and was popularised in economics in the 20th century, notably by Milton Friedman.
Related idioms
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