Definition

Noun: A fortune cookie is a crisp, sweet cookie, usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil, that contains a small strip of paper (a "fortune") inside. The fortune typically bears a proverb, prediction, lucky numbers, or a piece of wise advice.

Usage

The term is used specifically to refer to this type of cookie, which is commonly served in Chinese restaurants in Western countries, especially at the end of a meal.

Examples

• After we finished our meal, the server brought the check and a plate of fortune cookies.
• I cracked open my fortune cookie to read my fortune. It said, "A pleasant surprise is in store for you."
• The tradition of giving fortune cookies with the bill is not actually from China.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase inside a fortune cookie is often called a "fortune," but it can also be a general maxim or piece of wisdom.
• Fortune cookies are sometimes used metaphorically to refer to a source of vague, generic, or randomly assigned advice or predictions.
  • His management style was like getting advice from a fortune cookie—it sounded nice but meant nothing.

Variants and Related Words

• Fortune (noun): The slip of paper found inside a fortune cookie. It can also mean chance or luck, especially when personified ("Fortune smiled on him").
• Maxim (noun): A short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct. This is often the type of saying found on a fortune slip.

Synonyms

• Proverb cookie (rare, descriptive)
• There is no direct single-word synonym; it is a specific cultural item.

Related Phrases

• To crack/open a fortune cookie: The typical action of breaking the cookie to retrieve the paper inside.
• Fortune slip / Fortune paper: The strip of paper contained within the cookie.

Noun

1. thin folded wafer containing a maxim on a slip of paper