lunch

blow (one's) lunch and lose one's lunch; blow one's cookies; blow one's groceries

Sl. to vomit. I almost lost my lunch, I ran so hard. I wanted to blow my lunch, that's how rotten I felt. He got carsick and blew his cookies all over the front seat.

See also: blow

eat someone's lunch

Sl. to best someone; to defeat, outwit, or win against someone. (Like a school bully taking away children's lunches and eating them.) The upstart ABC Computer Company is eating IBM's lunch.

See also: eat

free lunch

Fig. something of value that is free. (Often negative. See also There's no such thing as a free lunch.) There's always somebody who'll do anything to get a free lunch.

See also: free

lunch off something

to make a lunch by eating something or part of something. We will be able to lunch off the leftover turkey for days! lean lunch off what is in the refrigerator. Don't worry about me.

lunch out

to eat lunch away from one's home or away from one's place of work. I think I'll lunch out today. I'm tired of carrying lunches. I want to lunch out today.

See also: out

out to lunch 

1. Lit. eating lunch away from one's place of work or activity. I'm sorry, but Sally Jones is out to lunch. May I take a message? She's been out to lunch for nearly two hours. When will she be back?

2. and out of it Fig. not alert; giddy; uninformed. Bill is really out of it. Why can't he pay attention? Don't be out of it, John. Wake up! Ann is really out to lunch these days.

See also: out

There's no such thing as a free lunch. and There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Prov. Cliché Everything costs something. (Can imply that you should be suspicious of anything that appears to be free.) Fred: This advertisement says I can get an expensive camera for free! Jane: Don't be so gullible. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Mary gave me her sewing machine, but I had to give it $100 worth of repairs before I could even use it. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

See also: free, such, thing

We('ll) have to do lunch sometime, and Let's do lunch (sometime).

We must have lunch together sometime. (A vague statement that may lead to lunch plans.) Rachel: Nice to talk to you, Tom. We have to do lunch sometime. Tom: Yes, good to see you. I'll give you a ring. Tom: Can't talk to you now. Catch you later. Mary: We'll have to do lunch sometime. John: Good to see you, Tom. Tom: Right. Let's do lunch sometime. John: Good idea. I'll call you. Mary: Catch you later. Sue: Sure. Let's do lunch. Mary: Okay. Call me. Bye.

See also: have, sometime

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a liquid lunch  (humorous)

if someone has a liquid lunch, they drink alcoholic drinks instead of eating food I had a two hour liquid lunch and nearly fell asleep at my desk in the afternoon.

See also: liquid

be out to lunch  (informal)

to be behaving in a very strange or silly way And yet the conversation we had with him this morning suggests that he's not entirely out to lunch.

See also: out

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

something that you say which means that if someone gives you something, they always expect you to give them something or to do something for them He offered me a room in his house, but he seems to expect me to do all the housework. I should have known there's no such thing as a free lunch.

See It's one thing after another!, one thing leads to another, know a thing or two

See also: free, such, thing

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out to lunch

1. not giving your attention to what you are doing Their team is so good, they'd have to be totally out to lunch for us to win a game.

2. lacking good mental judgment She's clearly an idiot, and even a five year old should be able to tell she's out to lunch.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of out to lunch (away from your place of business because you are eating lunch)

See also: out