free lunch

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of free lunch¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

The free event will give attendees the opportunity to network with community members, learn more about the work of Indigenous Pride L.A., enjoy a free lunch and voice any concerns about issues facing their communities.

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Previous cases of food poisoning stemming from the free lunch programme have cited negligent food preparation as a suspected cause.

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Kyrie’s mother, Candice, had filed the paperwork for free lunch after her husband was sidelined by a car accident and she was patching together part-time jobs.

Read more on Salon

Whether about a raft of redundancies or free lunches for staff being scrapped, news surrounding Manchester United's finances has not been positive.

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He may as well have asked if we would like a free lunch.

Read more on BBC