brown bag

1. verb To pack one's own food (e.g., in a brown paper bag), especially lunch, usually for work or school. People who brown bag it each day eat healthier foods than those who go out for lunch. I brown bag it pretty much every day, and it does get boring eating the same old things all the time. I don't have any cash on me to give you guys lunch money, so you're going to have to brown bag it today.

2. noun Such a lunch. Aw man, I forgot my brown bag, so I'll have to buy lunch after all. I have a brown bag pretty much every day, and it does get boring eating the same old things all the time. I have to meal prep on the weekends—otherwise, I'd never have healthy brown bags during the week.

3. adjective Describing a gathering in which people bring their own bag lunches. The phrase can be hyphenated in this usage. Can we go out to a restaurant for a change? I'm sick of these brown-bag meetings. We're going to have a brown-bag study session before the Chem test, if you want to join us. If you want to attract people to the conference room, don't make it a brown bag gathering—lure them in with some tasty food.

brown-bagging

Packing one's own food (e.g., in a brown paper bag), especially lunch, usually for work or school. Ever since I started brown-bagging it, I've been eating much healthier foods than when I used to go out for lunch. My team is going out to lunch, that's why I'm not brown-bagging it today. I don't have any cash on me to give you guys lunch money, so you're going to be brown-bagging it today.

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References in periodicals archive

They come to the door, advise you that you're suspected of brownbagging, and offer you a letter stipulating what you must pay to avoid being formally prosecuted.

The Implications of the Percy Schmeiser Decision

For others, it might mean foregoing smoking or drinking, or buying lunch instead of brownbagging. And for still others it might involve not having a telephone, or adapting to a diet of rice and beans.

Seven steps on the road to country living