fortune cookie: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2informal, neutral
Quick answer
What does “fortune cookie” mean?
A crisp, sweet biscuit containing a small strip of paper with a message predicting the future or offering advice, served in Chinese restaurants.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A crisp, sweet biscuit containing a small strip of paper with a message predicting the future or offering advice, served in Chinese restaurants.
Can metaphorically refer to any trivial, vague, or randomly generated piece of advice or prediction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The object is identical, but less commonly encountered in typical British Chinese takeaways compared to American Chinese restaurants. The term is understood but slightly more culturally 'American' in the UK.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes light-hearted, often ironic, pseudo-wisdom. In the US, it is a familiar cultural artefact; in the UK, it may be seen as a more explicit American import.
Frequency
Substantially more frequent in American English due to its prevalence in the restaurant industry.
Grammar
How to Use “fortune cookie” in a Sentence
VERB + fortune cookie: open, crack, get, read, containfortune cookie + VERB: contains, says, predictsADJ + fortune cookie: stale, broken, complimentaryVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fortune cookie” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- This concept doesn't verb. One might 'fortune-cookie' as a nonce verb: 'He fortune-cookied some generic advice.'
American English
- This concept doesn't verb. One might 'fortune-cookie' as a nonce verb: 'The manager just fortune-cookied a bunch of empty slogans.'
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- fortune-cookie wisdom (hyphenated compound adjective)
- a fortune-cookie philosophy
American English
- fortune-cookie logic (hyphenated compound adjective)
- fortune-cookie prophecy
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used literally. Metaphorically: 'His market forecast was about as useful as a fortune cookie prediction.'
Academic
Almost never used, except in cultural or anthropological studies of foodways.
Everyday
Primary context. Discussing meals, sharing amusing or apt messages. 'We laughed at the silly message in my fortune cookie.'
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “fortune cookie”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fortune cookie”
- Using plural 'fortunes cookie'. Correct: fortune cookies.
- Calling it a 'biscuit' in an American context (AmE: cookie, BrE: biscuit).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are an American invention, likely originating in early 20th century California, though inspired by Japanese or Chinese baked goods with messages.
Yes, it is often used to describe vague, generic, or randomly-generated advice or predictions that lack depth or specificity.
It is a compound noun. It can also be used in hyphenated form as a compound adjective (e.g., fortune-cookie wisdom).
Yes, the small paper strip is commonly called 'the fortune', though it may contain proverbs, lucky numbers, or vocabulary words rather than a prediction.
A crisp, sweet biscuit containing a small strip of paper with a message predicting the future or offering advice, served in Chinese restaurants.
Fortune cookie is usually informal, neutral in register.
Fortune cookie: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɔːtʃuːn ˌkʊki/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɔːrtʃən ˌkʊki/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be a fortune cookie (derogatory: to spout vague platitudes)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FORTUNE teller baking a COOKIE and putting her prediction inside it.
Conceptual Metaphor
WISDOM/PREDICTION IS AN OBJECT CONTAINED WITHIN SOMETHING FRAGILE (the cookie must be broken to access it).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary cultural association of the fortune cookie?