No such thing as a free lunch

"No free lunch" redirects here. For the medical advocacy group, see No Free Lunch (organization). For the theorem in mathematical optimization, see No free lunch theorem.

"No such thing as a free lunch" (alternatively, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch", "There is no such thing as a free lunch" or other variants, sometimes called Crane's law[1]) is a popular adage communicating the idea that it is impossible to get something for nothing. The acronyms TANSTAAFL, TINSTAAFL, and TNSTAAFL are also used. The phrase was in use by the 1930s, but its first appearance is unknown.[2] The "free lunch" in the saying refers to the formerly common practice in American bars of offering a "free lunch" in order to entice drinking customers.

The phrase and the acronym are central to Robert A. Heinlein's 1966 science-fiction novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which helped popularize it.[3][4] The free-market economist Milton Friedman also increased its exposure and use[2] by paraphrasing it as the title of a 1975 book;[5] it is used in economics literature to describe opportunity cost.[6] Campbell McConnell writes that the idea is "at the core of economics".[7]

  1. ^ Bloch, Arthur (1977). Murphy's Law and Other Reasons Why Things Go Wrong. Los Angeles: Price/Stern/Sloan. p. 69. ISBN 0843104287.
  2. ^ a b Safire, William, The New York Times, 2-14-1993 "On Language; Words Left Out in the Cold"
  3. ^ Keyes, Ralph (2006). The Quote Verifier. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-312-34004-9.
  4. ^ Smith, Chrysti M. (2006). Verbivore's Feast: Second Course. Helena, MT: Farcountry Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-56037-404-6.
  5. ^ Friedman, Milton, There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch, Open Court Publishing Company, 1975. ISBN 087548297X.
  6. ^ Gwartney, James D.; Richard Stroup; Dwight R. Lee (2005). Common Sense Economics. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-312-33818-X.
  7. ^ McConnell, Campbell R.; Stanley L. Brue (2005). Economics: principles, problems, and policies. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-07-281935-9. OCLC 314959936. Retrieved 2009-12-10.