Although commonly attributed to Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, the expression, ‘there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch’ long predated him. In fact, it described the practice of pubs and bars offering a ‘free’ lunch to patrons who purchased at least one drink.

The ‘free’ luncheon was generally high in salt (cheese, salted crackers, nuts), enticing customers to purchase generous volumes of high-priced beer and drinks.