The lack of distinction on this term plagues the English speaking world in more ways than frugal programmers. See: the entire political spectrum in the US
"Free as in beer" you get something, you don't have to pay. "Free as in speech" you have the rights to do things, like modify source code.
and later
"Free as in puppies" As in you get it for free, but it's gonna cost you later. Most open source software is like this, you get it, but have to invest is using/mastering/maintaining it. Of course, you have to invest like this in paid, software as well.
Suppose a new word was introduced. What would the dictionary definition be?
But to be more clear:
Free as in "gratis" is like "buy one get one free". It means something provided at no cost - ie: "They had a problem with their computer system so they gave me the salad for free"
Free as in "libre" is like "freedom", a more abstract concept about being not being restricted from something or having the right to something.
Software can be "free as in libre", ie: it's open-source. It can also be "free as in gratis" in that it costs no money. But they're different concepts, and have different implications.
Many developers want software to be "free", as in open-source, and confuse that with "I will allocate no resources towards that thing".
I particularly like the "free as in beer", which is a HIGHLY confused term, but I take it to mean: Beer itself is free - it's not patented and anyone can learn to make it. However, any individual beer is a product that took effort to produce, and thus, is not free of charge.
But you’re correct - the mainstream meaning of that term is the opposite - which I find bizarre.
We all got different brains though, shoutout learning from others perspectives, ty for sharing yours.
The quote references it because it is (or was) a cliché promotional offering.