This is believed to be associated with marionettes (string puppets) of 14th and 15th century France, which were controlled via strings by a puppeteer [1,2].
Examples
“All skill levels are welcome and can join in the fun with no strings attached.”
“Instead, the UK Government should enter into separate talks about returning the sculptures to Athens as a no-strings-attached gift.”
“In 2017, Finland became the first European country to test a government-backed unconditional basic income, which gave people a regular stipend with no strings attached.”
Photo credit: Jim McDougall (Creative Commons)
[1] Valeri R. Helterbran, Exploring Idioms: A Critical-thinking Resource for Grades 4–8
[2] “No strings attached” in Brewer’s Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, edited by Adrian Room and Ebenezer Cobham Brewer. 2nd ed. Cassell, 2009.
Updated Monday 24 February 2020
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