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.

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of free lunch

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

There's no such thing as a free lunch, unless you're a Hollywood A-lister who's nominated for an Oscar.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

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 • Dec. 17, 2025

These results highlight that there is no such thing as a free lunch in financial markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

To the extent investors care only about short-term returns, they therefore think that protecting the largest corporations is a free lunch.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 21, 2025

Any free lunch stand in town serves a better one.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin