except or except for..

[driftwood]

I have the following two sets of statements. Are they different from each other in the meaning?

I wouldn't have accepted anything except a job in Europe.
I don't take any drugs whatsoever, except aspirin for colds.

I wouldn't have accepted anything except for a job in Europe.
I don't take any drugs whatsoever, except for aspirin for colds.

Thank you.

Jay

[Tdol]

They mean the same. We can normally use both forms, though before a preposition or verb we don't normally use 'for'.