OT: Tanstaafl?

[pokemon_master]

I know this is off-topic but I thought that it would be fun I to post something for you all to figure out.

What is TANSTAAFL? And when you figured it out, how can you prove it true?

If you figure it out, you can be called Super Smart by anyone you know.

EDIT: Anyone doing Business studies/Economics should know this one! And yes, you probably could find the answer to this on the internet, but that would be cheating, and you'd have to be called Cheaty Mc-Cheater for the rest of your life.

I do know this one too, for I am an Economist! If only my Economics teacher could see me now!

 

[qruthie]

I do know what it means and was considering naming one of my mules tanstaafl because of all the people who beg on VMK. I learned the term from someone who read it in a book by Heinlein. I won't reveal the answer here because it is fun to figure out what the term stands for.

As for proving it to be true, I don't have much of an answer. I'd just guess that everything costs something to someone. The cost could be money, time, labor or needing to return a favor. Thus tanstaafl.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[pokemon_master]

I do know what it means and was considering naming one of my mules tanstaafl because of all the people who beg on VMK. I learned the term from someone who read it in a book by Heinlein. I won't reveal the answer here because it is fun to figure out what the term stands for.

As for proving it to be true, I don't have much of an answer. I'd just guess that everything costs something to someone. The cost could be money, time, labor or needing to return a favor. Thus tanstaafl.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

I heard from Wikipedia that a famous Science fiction writer used it a lot. Is that the same guy I am thinking about or not?

 

[qruthie]

I heard from Wikipedia that a famous Science fiction writer used it a lot. Is that the same guy I am thinking about or not?

I believe so. I think the author's name is Robert Heinlein. I don't read science fiction much but my husband does and he did say Heinlein used the expression.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[pokemon_master]

What no-one knows it but me or marypops!?

 

[marypops!]

since when did i know the answer?

 

[Adventuredaz]

(There is no free lunch)- it was tought in my middle school economics class and it for the most part it is self proving such as with VMK it is expensive for Disney to run I am sure but it is "free" for us but they have a business purpose for it so they feel (I hope) it is paying of as advertising and driving people to the parks. Where we spend boatloads of money some even directly for VMK. So we both benefit but if not really free to either of us. Just one example of course.