I've commented before on the way that bread is only available in most supermarkets in the UK in medium and thick sliced loaves which gives a new and incorrect meaning to "medium" but today I saw a new use of "free".

On one shelf cheap DVD players at £34.99 with a "free" SCART cable.

On the shelf above a model identicle in all respects but without the free cable. Price? £29.99.

Clearly an obscure use of the word "free" meaning "costs five pounds".

Agreed, Bob. It doesn't sound free to me. Free means you don't have to pay money, right?

It's interesting how the for-many primary meaning of free (as in free of cost) is replacing all the other meanings. The OED (1st ed.) gives about 30 definitions, and 'not costing any money' comes about 27th. The Old English verb fréon, freogan 'to free, liberate, manumit' also has a meaning of 'to love' and is related to friend and Friday. All from the PIE root *pri(y)- 'love'.

Even more interesting is the use of the word "best". Advertisements can use this word as long as the product is roughly equal to its peers. For example, you can have 30 detergents all claiming that they are the best at cleaning. But if the advertisements use the word "better" the product must be proveably better than its competitors. Therefore, "better" is best, and "best" is mediocre. Truth in advertising ;-)

The Old English verb fréon, freogan 'to free, liberate, manumit' also has a meaning of 'to love' and is related to friend and

Well, "friend" and "love" being related makes sense. It is interesting, though, to see "free" and "love" related. Do you think it is because being "freedom" has been sought after for centuries? Did "Friday" originally mean "free day?"

Sigg, your analysis of "better" and "best" is great! I am actually shocked at what advertisers get away with. Not only do they make ridiculous claims (Budweiser has so much flavor?!), but many times they don't even talk about the quality of their products. Automobile ads are notorious for that; they show a beautiful sexy woman, in front of a well-waxed black car, and that's the ad! Sheesh! [They could at least have a sexy man there too! ]

Did "Friday" originally mean "free day?"

No it meant Friga's day. She was the Anglo-Saxon goddess of love, known in Old Norse as Freya. It's thought to be a calque on the Latin dies Veneris (Venus' day).

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
_Free_ means you don't have to pay money, right?

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It means they'll be happy to free you of your money!

In the 1950s there was some item included in cereal boxes that was advertised, "FREE, said loudly and clearly, (for extra money), spoken almost inaudibly, and briskly.

Well, of COURSE the Captain Buzz Corey Space Patrol Decoder-Ring was free. It was the postage-and-handling you paid your 25 cents for, silly!... (walks-away-whistling-with-eyes-cast-oh-so-innocently-upward-emoticon)

(walks-away-whistling-with-eyes-cast-oh-so-innocently-upward-emoticon)

I do so wish we had that kind of an emoticon!

Now, hab, for 25¢, that must have been awhile ago!... (walks-away-whistling-with-eyes-cast-oh-so-innocently-upward-emoticon)