This is a gratuitous mention of...

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0I saw a AD on a magazine: "This is a gratuitous mention of our incredible lobster, now that we have that out of the way, check out the other reasons to visit Maine."02br02br00What is the gratuitous mean here? I looked up in a dictionary that it means "grant or give without return" but seems it doesn't make sense here in this ad.02br02br00besides, what is "we have that out of the way"?02br02br00Thanks for your help.0-

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

0Here, I suppose that 01i00gratuitous02i00 = 01i00given or received without cost or obligation; free02i00. It is not really a very good use of the word, but then advertising copywriters are not known for their deep understanding of the language. I think what was intended was 01i00obligatory02i00.02br
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01i00Now that we have that out of the way02i00 = now that we have accomplished that task (of mentioning the Maine lobster).0-

Forbes · Answer

1i00Gratuitous02i00 also means "without good cause" or for "no valid reason".02br
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00The characters in Existentialist novels often perform gratuitous acts to demonstrate their freedom.02br
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00I think the use in the ad is perfectly good, and adds a touch of humour. I don't know a lot, if anything, about Maine (apologies to those who live there) but I suspect that it is well known for its lobsters. It is as if it is expected that an ad for Maine will feature lobsters.02br
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01i00Now that we have that out of the way 02i00means "Right, we've dealt with that, on to other business."0-

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