free lunch

American  

noun

1. food provided without charge in some bars and saloons to attract customers.

2. Informal. something given with no expectation of repayment, service, responsibility, etc..

   In politics there's no free lunch—everyone expects favors to be repaid.

---

free lunch Idioms  

1. Something acquired without due effort or cost. For example, In politics there is no free lunch; every favor calls for repayment. This expression alludes to the custom of taverns offering food free of charge to induce customers to buy drinks. It was soon extended to other kinds of gift but is often used in a negative way, as in the example. [First half of 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of free lunch

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

“There is no free lunch here,” argues Adam Levitin, a credit market expert at Georgetown law school.

From Los Angeles Times

As Patti put it, "there is no free lunch" when it comes to sugar alternatives, and many metabolic pathways can ultimately lead back to liver dysfunction.

From Science Daily

"My son Mike said he wants to be CEO and I asked him why, and he said, 'Well, I love the mission and the free lunches'."

From BBC

Clune Construction, a Chicago-based general contractor, said it is trying to ensure workers have access to the same creature comforts as white-collar workers, including heated and air-conditioned break tents and perks like periodic free lunches.

From The Wall Street Journal

Each child has so far been provided with 435 free lunches on average, saving families up to £500 a year per child, the mayor said.

From BBC