What does the phrase, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." mean?
367965
Simply put, it means that one cannot get something for nothing. Even if something appears to be free, there is always a catch. You may get free food at a bar during "happy hour", but the bar-owner either figures out a way to get you to pay or gets some sort of benefit (such as attracting new customers). This may or may not be true at the individual level, depending on the interpretation of the phrase.\n\nThough it is possible for an individual to get a "free lunch" (eg. a company cuts its costs and gains competitive advantage), someone ends up paying the cost of the "lunch" (the cuts increase factory pollution). Even though there is no individual or private cost, there is a social cost. Similarly, someone can benefit for free from a beneficial externality or from a public good. But someone has to pay the cost of producing these benefits.
766392
The whole quote is: Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts.  It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.  ~William Temple
884049
Ever hear this?\n"There is no such thing as a free lunch"\n\nOccasionally people do give things out free ... do you?\nIt's called "karma" ... you get back what you give out.\n\nGood luck ... try paying for things ... you might be able to get a good deal if you are willing to pay a bit for it.
242082
there is no such thing
658948
Sorry, youngster, but there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.  If someone told you there is, run from that person. They're so ignorant they're dangerous.\n\nThe government never NEVER gives money away to individuals.  There are agencies to whom the government provides funds, but you have to go IN PERSON to such agencies, bringing with you PROOF that you need financial assistance - and they'll check to see if in fact any money they do grant you is used properly - as in repairing or rebuilding your house - and will charge you with theft if you blow it on bullcrap like booze, cigarettes or a car.  \n\nH&R Block is a company that is paid to help individuals fill out their income tax returns.  They do not give money away because they do not have any to give away.
858983
Yeah, U wait Long Long.In this world there are no free lunch.
138708
unconscionable\n\nIt means, "without a conscience" or a sense of what's right and what's wrong.
502994
Someone else asked a question like this, I'll tell you what I told her: \n\nEvery hear the phrase "Don't sh*t where you eat"?\n\nIt means, don't have relationships (because they can turn bad) at work (where you make your money to pay for your living expenses). \n\nDon't do it, if it goes bad, you'll be uncomfortable whenever you go to work... plus, depending on your work environment, you could have policies against office romances and one (or both) of you can get fired.\n\nAND if the person's your boss/ manager, it can be considered sexual harassment in the workplace...\n\nIt's a loaded gun, don't point it at yourself.
962819
It means you're poor and can't afford food. It's from the Jefferson's theme song, right?
385337
A rhetorical non-sequitur - I love 'em!\n\nA more general rhetorical non non-sequitur would be: Is there anything which a government cannot tax?
541713
It is "You CAN'T have your cake and eat it, too."\n\nOnce you eat the cake, you do not have it anymore.\n\nIt means you can't have it both ways at once.
259965
the actual quote is "you can't eat your cake and have it too." It came from the french revolution .."let them eat cake.." it is one of the most incorrectly quoted quotes. If you think about it you can have your cake and eat it too but you can't eat your cake and have it too.
931929
It means you're "broke, no money, I mean like nothing".
361578
none that I know of.\n\nNothing in life is free.
640153
There's no such thing or term.
1188
It's a saying that is pretty close to what it means. "Short of nothing" means that NOTHING is the only thing you will stop short of. So nothing can stop you.
516907
Noone is holding everything away from you.  There is no free lunch in the world because everything costs money to produce.  I have to admit, things are a little unbalanced for us working class people.  But it's like George Carlin said, the middle class are there to pay all the taxes and the poor are there to scare the middle class into working their mindless jobs.