Examples
- The app is free, but it sells your data – there's no such thing as a free lunch.
- I'd read the small print first. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
How to use it
A saying, usually used as a warning. Often shortened to "there's no free lunch".
Where it comes from
Often linked to American bars of the 1800s that offered a "free lunch" to customers who bought drinks.