TANSTAAFL

What Does TANSTAAFL Mean in a Text?

TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Things As a Free Lunch) means it is impossible to get something for nothing (which is the core tenet of all economics). The term TANSTAAFL was popularized by economist Milton Friedman's 1975 book "There's no such thing as free lunch."

On social-media platforms, TANSTAAFL is most commonly used as a response to someone complaining about having to work hard for something they want.

Image for TANSTAAFL

When I write TANSTAAFL, I mean this:

meaning of TANSTAAFL

The image shows stroppy teenager Kevin (created by Harry Enfield) whining about not getting something for nothing.

Summary of Key Points

"There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch" is the most common definition for TANSTAAFL on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
TANSTAAFL
Definition:There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Type:Abbreviation
Guessability:guessability level 3
3: Guessable
Typical Users:typical user

Adults and Teenagers

Example of TANSTAAFL in a Sentence

Here is an example of TANSTAAFL being used in a sentence:
  • Tony: Cleaning cars is so boring, but it's only way I'll get my own one.
  • Jordan: TANSTAAFL, young Jedi.
  • Tony: Unfortunately, that's true!

An Academic Look at TANSTAAFL

TANSTAAFL is an acronym (i.e., an abbreviation spoken like a word). Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters.

Of note, TANSTAAFL is grammatically incorrect as it is a double negative (like "I ain't got no money"). The correct version of TANSTAAFL is TINSTAAFL (There Is No Such Things As a Free Lunch), which is also an acronym. Another popular version is the initialism TNSTAAFL (There's No Such Things As a Free Lunch).

The words "There ain't no such thing as..." are commonly used to offer advice, seemingly from the perspective of an uneducated person, suggesting that everybody (even the uneducated) knows the assertion is true.

Example of TANSTAAFL Used in a Text

TANSTAAFL
author logo

This page is maintained by the Cyber Definitions Editorial Team.

Example of TANSTAAFL in a Sentence

Here is an example of TANSTAAFL being used in a sentence:
  • Tony: Cleaning cars is so boring, but it's only way I'll get my own one.
  • Jordan: TANSTAAFL, young Jedi.
  • Tony: Unfortunately, that's true!

An Academic Look at TANSTAAFL

TANSTAAFL is an acronym (i.e., an abbreviation spoken like a word). Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters.

Of note, TANSTAAFL is grammatically incorrect as it is a double negative (like "I ain't got no money"). The correct version of TANSTAAFL is TINSTAAFL (There Is No Such Things As a Free Lunch), which is also an acronym. Another popular version is the initialism TNSTAAFL (There's No Such Things As a Free Lunch).

The words "There ain't no such thing as..." are commonly used to offer advice, seemingly from the perspective of an uneducated person, suggesting that everybody (even the uneducated) knows the assertion is true.

Help Us Improve Cyber Definitions

  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
  • Do you know a slang term that we've missed?
Please tell us using this form.

Quiz

Try our fun quiz to test your knowledge of slang and texting abbreviations.
gold cup
Gold

gold cup
Silver

gold cup
Bronze

0
  • This test has questions.
  • A correct answer is worth 5 points.
  • You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
  • Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
  • Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
  • 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System

Cyber Guru (+)
Cyber Hero (+)
Cyber Captain (+)
Cyber Sergeant (+)
Cyber Recruit (+)