May

The Lucky Language of Fortune Cookies

by Meredith Mullins on May 14, 2018

Man's hands opening fortune cookies, revealing proverbs and sayings that can change your life. (Image © Comstock/Stockbyte.)

What wisdom can a cookie bring?
© Comstock Images/Stockbyte

Can Cookie Proverbs and Sayings Change Your Life?

We are often drawn to a peek at the future, whether fueled by fact or fantasy, proverbs or sayings, instinct or reason.

We shake the Magic 8 Ball to answer our important YES/NO questions and get answers such as “Signs point to yes,” “Outlook not so good,” or the annoyingly evasive “Reply hazy. Try again later.” (Was this a forerunner to sassy Siri?)

We sit in silence between worlds with our Ouija board and call on the spirits to guide us. We have our palms read or consult our horoscopes.

Tarot cards, ouija board, and magic 8 ball, all ways to tell the future in addition to the proverbs and sayings of fortune cookies. (Image © DrawbyDar/iStock, Pablofdezr/iStock, Montego666/iStock.)

Many ways to glimpse the future
© iStock

We study the colorful tarot cards for a glimpse of meaning about the past, present, and future, with messages from The High Priestess, The Hermit, The Magician, or The Wheel of Fortune.

Perhaps the most common oracle in the U.S. comes in the form of a cookie—the fortune cookie that arrives at the end of a meal at American Chinese restaurants or with every order of Chinese takeout.

We crack open the folded cookie and pause for a moment, wondering how the words on that tiny piece of paper might have meaning in our life. Or are they just a nice way to end a Chinese meal?

fortune cookies filled with proverbs and sayings that could be life changing. (Image © jerkaejc/iStock.)

Is our personal fortune likely to find us?
© jerkaejc/iStock

The Words of Fortune

The tweet-like messages range from poetic to practical, from vague enough to be true for anyone to specifics that can seem eerily prophetic.

The language of the fortune cookie is intended to be universal—inspirational proverbs and sayings, thought-provoking riddles, humorous comments on contemporary culture, and translations of traditional Chinese philosophy.

Paper strip with one of the proverbs and sayings of fortune cookies, You Will Become Great If You Believe in Yourself. (Image © EKaterina79/iStock.)

Universal inspiration
© EKaterina79/iStock

The writing strategy at Wonton Food, the largest producer of fortune cookies in the U.S., sheds some light and provides some “Oh, I see” moments about the fine art of fortune writing.

The company ships nearly 5 million cookies a day to Chinese restaurants all over the U.S. They have a simple goal. They want people to finish their meal with a positive message.

Proverbs and Sayings about love appear in fortune cookies. (Image © Angela King-Jones/iStock.)

A philosophy for any culture
© Angela King-Jones/iStock

Donald Lau, the sole Wonton Food fortune writer for decades has passed the pen to a new writer. But his philosophy is still at the heart of the messages.

“When they eat their fortune cookie, I want the customers to open the fortune, read it, maybe laugh, and leave the restaurant happy,” Mr. Lau says, “So that they come back again next week.”

The company has experimented with more “cautious” messages—reflecting the ups and downs of real life— but feedback from customers sent them back to more positive messages.

Fortune cookies with "Your taxes are due" is not one of the proverbs and sayings one wants to get. (Image © Robeo/iStock.)

Who wants this real-life fortune?
© Robeo/iStock

Messages like “There may be a crisis looming—be ready for it,” “Your luck is just not there— attend to practical matters today,” and “It’s over your head now. Time to get some professional help” were a bit of a downer.

The company also retired the iconic “You will meet a tall, dark stranger” as it sounded a bit too ominous.

Now, the fortunes are more philosophical than predictive. Some messages include a Chinese language lesson (an easy way to expand your Chinese vocabulary), as well as a string of lucky numbers.

Fortune cookies with proverbs and sayings like "Don't just think, act." (Image © Nicolesy/iStock.)

Motivational guidance
© Nicolesy/iStock

The lucky number sequence can be used in many ways—most often for lotteries or gambling investments.

Wonton Food still remembers providing winning Powerball numbers in one random fortune number sequence in 2005. The 110 winners who shared $19 million in prize money had all heeded the lucky numbers of their Wonton Food fortunes. They will long remember that happy ending to a Chinese meal.

Fortune cookie with money inside, a new version of proverbs and sayings for fortune cookies. (Image © Photodisc.)

Sometimes we wish for this kind of good fortune.
© Photodisc

Fortune Cookie History

The origins of the fortune cookie are murky. Some say the original idea came from China during the Ming Dynasty, when warriors delivered secret strategies inside tea cakes. Others trace the roots to Japan where rice cakes with fortunes inside (called tsujiura senbei) were sold near shrines.

Most everyone agrees that Chinese and Japanese immigrants to the U.S. in the early 1900s brought the idea to America and popularized the concept at Chinese restaurants.

One theory is that Makoto Hagiwara, with the San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden, created the cookies in 1907. Another theory gives credit to David Jung, who distributed the cookies from his noodle company in Los Angeles in 1916.

Fortune cookie with "I don't have the answer." as one of the proverbs and sayings. (Image © Robert Kacpura/iStock.)

Sometimes there is just no answer.
© Robert Kacpura/iStock

Whichever the origin, fortune cookies gained popularity in the U.S. after WW II and became a staple at Chinese restaurants throughout the country.

And, while you will occasionally spot fortune cookies in the U.K. and Europe, they are a decidedly American phenomenon . . . and, ironically, still rare in China.

Cute boy with row of fortune cookies, looking for the right fortune from all the proverbs and sayings. (Image © Yeko Photo Studio/iTunes.)

If at first you don’t succeed, keep searching for that perfect fortune.
© Yeko Photo Studio/iStock

Lasting Memories from One Smart Cookie

Most of us have had a fortune cookie saying that stays with us. Either we carry it in our wallet because it was so inspirational or we remember the cookie moment and the people with whom we shared the special fortune.

Here are some of my favorites:

The fortune you seek is in another cookie.
If you look back, you’ll soon be going that way.
Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.
If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is it naked or homeless?
Don’t let statistics do a number on you.
You will be hungry again in one hour.
That wasn’t chicken.
Actions speak louder than fortune cookies.
Patience will find you this week. Wait for it.
Why not treat yourself to a good time instead of waiting for someone else to do it?
Ask not what your fortune cookie can do for you but what you can do for your fortune cookie.
Confucius say: If you think we’re going to sum up your whole life on this little bit of paper, you’re crazy.

Perhaps the best of all the proverbs and sayings is found in Iris Smyles’ New Yorker list of creative fortune cookie messages:

One day you will think to yourself, If only I could meet someone who understands me as well as this fortune cookie does.

Don’t worry. All signs point to YES.

Good luck!
© Brand X Pictures/Stockbyte

Thank you to the New York Times article by Jennifer 8. Lee, to the Time Magazine article by Olivia B. Waxman, and to the New Yorker article by Iris Smyles. For more information on the making of fortune cookies, visit the Wonton Food website.

Comment on this post below.

Meredith Mullins 3 Comments

Language & Culture/Proverbs & Sayings/USA

Nov

Visual Wordplay for the Bilingual Brain

by Eva Boynton on November 14, 2017

A cartoon of a woman pulling a leg and hands grabbing her hair, showing how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

“Ouch! You’re pulling my leg!”
“¡Ay! ¡Me estás tomando el pelo!” (“Ouch! You’re grabbing my hair!”)
© drawing by Eva Boynton

Spanish and English Proverbs in Pictures

While living in Mexico, I heard phrases whose literal translations created odd visual images for me and confused my developing bilingual brain. For example: “Me estás tomando el pelo!” (You are grabbing my hair!”). My initial bewildered response? I checked to see if my hands were minding their business at my side.

With further explanation, I soon understood that such strange phrases were proverbios y refranes (proverbs and sayings), wise and colorful ways to make a point. In this case: “You are pulling my leg.”

As I started collecting Spanish proverbs, something else began to appear. Oh, I saw that the essence of a proverb often translates from language to language even when the metaphors and imagery vary.

For me, someone who thinks visually, these proverbs were waiting to be translated into cartoonish illustrations that bring their wordplay to life.

1. Together is Always Better

Proverbs and sayings state a general truth and often offer advice metaphorically. Has anyone ever told you, “Two heads are better than one”?

A cartoon of a man with four eyes and a woman with two heads, illustrating how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

There’s something different about this guy . . .
© drawing by Eva Boynton

How about the Spanish equivalent: “Cuatro ojos ven mas que dos” (“Four eyes see more than two”)? Whether there’s an extra head or more than two eyes, collaborating with others always helps to solve problems.

2. You Can’t Hide What’s Inside

Whether in Spanish or English, proverbs represent values people hold. They reflect shared experience and the wisdom that arises from it. For example, “Fine feathers don’t make fine birds” communicate that it’s not the elegant coat and shiny earrings that define a person, but rather what is underneath.

A cartoon of a cockatoo and a monkey with a silk dress sitting on a branch, illustrating how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

What banana?
© drawing by Eva Boynton

In Spanish, the feathers metaphor takes on a different form: Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda (“Although the monkey is dressed in silk, she remains a monkey”). The true nature and that fuzzy monkey tail cannot be hidden by silken decoration.

3. Pay Attention or Learn Your Lesson

Proverbs and sayings touch every aspect of life. “You snooze you lose,” said a man who quickly slipped into my parking spot. That jolted me into the present after being distracted by a pretty view. The proverb had it right with its warning not to hesitate and miss an opportunity.

A cartoon of a shrimp sleeping on a raft going down a stream, illustrating how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

Maybe the raft is incredibly comfortable, but this shrimp is about to learn the same lesson—in Spanish: “Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente” (“A sleeping shrimp gets carried away by the current”).

4. Beware of Musical Chairs

There are many English and Spanish proverbs with warnings about losing something you already have. In Spanish, “El que se fue a Sevilla, perdió su silla” (“He who left for the town of Sevilla, lost his seat.”) is a good reminder to pay attention.

A cartoon strip of a woman taking the chair of a man who left his seat, showing how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

Not all proverbs are a beautiful slice of wisdom. Sometimes they can be sarcastic, to the point, and biting. If someone took my seat and chanted, “Finders keepers, losers weepers,” I would most likely furrow my brow, cross my arms, and . . .

5. What Looks Nice Sometimes Bites

“Every rose has its thorn . . . every cowboy sings his sad, sad, song” is more than a couple of lines from an eighties song by the band Poison. “Every rose has its thorn” is also a famous proverb with advice on the nature of things—something that appears beautiful and perfect can have its sharp side.

A cartoon of a rose poking its thorn at a bee holding honey, showing how visual wordplay with Spanish and English proverbs tickles the bilingual brain. (image © Eva Boynton).

When I asked my husband for an example of the proverb in Spanish, he came up with, “Hasta las abejas que tienen miel, tienen aguijón” (“Even bees with honey have stingers”). He smiled and elaborated in Spanglish, “You are sweet and cute, pero cuando te enojas, tienes aguijón” (but when you are angry, you have a stinger). Perfect, I wrote that one down.

As my pen marked the page, I wondered about the significance of a rose versus a bee. What might the choice say about the culture or the language?

If you have a bilingual brain, try out some bi-visual wordplay of your own. You may find yourself feliz como una lombriz (happy as a worm) when you think in Spanish and “happy as a clam” when your clever brain turns to English. And please share the bilingual proverbs you come up with in the Comments.