free lunch
17
4.2
- noun
- /fri lʌnʧ/
- Informal
:
almuerzo gratis
- The percentage of students eligible for free lunch at the three schools ranged from 18% to 29%.
- receive free lunch
- free lunch program
- eligible for free lunch
And so this lets us give people a free lunch for a very long time.
- And so this lets us give people a free lunch for a very long time.
- And the first of those lessons is there's no free lunch in life.
- The old, the old saw about there being no free lunch.
- Psychiatry is I just have this really deep innate belief that there's no such thing as a free lunch in life.
- We were paid well and we got free lunch and we were even like pretty much promised the total job security.
Examples
-
There is no such thing as a free lunch, even for social studies teachers.
Academic text (1994) -
In this era of fiscal austerity, the old axiom that there is no free lunch must be taken seriously.
Academic text (1994) -
We were paid well and we got free lunch and we were even like pretty much promised the total job security.
-
Winner gets a free lunch.
-
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
-
The best thing about working for Phil is the free lunch.
-
The other students received free lunches for their participation.
Academic text (2001) -
Customers received free lunches, and in exchange, Potbelly asked them to make donations to support music education.
Academic text (2004) -
In addition, 95.6% were considered economically disadvantaged and received free lunch.
Academic text (2012) -
The best part of the event is the free lunch provided to all attendees.
Synonyms
37
4.2
A benefit you get without paying or working
26
1.0
Food you are given without paying
19
2.8
An item given free at events or to advertise a product
A thing given free to promote a product or service
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Literally, 'free' + 'lunch' yields 'a meal provided without charge', so the composition is partly transparent; however the common proverbical meaning — that nothing is truly without cost or obligation — is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable from the constituents alone. Many languages have similar idioms which can help, but an average B1 learner who only knows the words may not infer the broader, non-literal sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Free lunch comes from old American bars that gave a free lunch to anyone who came in to make them buy drinks, so the meal was not truly free. So, it now means 'something that looks free but has a hidden cost'.