Just eat the cookie, already, and don't choke on the paper.
August 14, 2008 2:24 PM Subscribe
How long does a fortune from a fortune cookie last?
Fortune cookies are just for fun, are not meant to be taken seriously, the cookie does not know a person's fate.
Now, that being said...
When you read your fortune from a cookie, how long do you and those in your circle figure it lasts? For example, I got one a month ago that said, "Serious trouble will bypass you." How very nice. But for how long, in fortune cookie time, will I have such happiness? Is that open-ended, or until sundown of the day I got the fortune, or 24 hours, or until I lose the slip of paper it's written on, or what? Is there some loosely agreed-upon length of time in the mythology before a fortune cookie fortune expires?
Fortune cookies are just for fun, are not meant to be taken seriously, the cookie does not know a person's fate.
Now, that being said...
When you read your fortune from a cookie, how long do you and those in your circle figure it lasts? For example, I got one a month ago that said, "Serious trouble will bypass you." How very nice. But for how long, in fortune cookie time, will I have such happiness? Is that open-ended, or until sundown of the day I got the fortune, or 24 hours, or until I lose the slip of paper it's written on, or what? Is there some loosely agreed-upon length of time in the mythology before a fortune cookie fortune expires?
This post was deleted for the following reason: oh screw it, this is unanswerable. Try big big question. -- jessamyn
I've never known anyone who attached any sort of embellishment like this on fortune cookie fortunes. Probably because it would be absurd to do so.
posted by nanojath at 2:33 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by nanojath at 2:33 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Well, I got "You will soon take a trip to the desert" once (I know, amazing--an actual fortune!) and it was six months before I finally got to visit the folks in Phoenix again. So, like the cookies themselves, I would think they have a pretty good shelf-life.
Mind you, they expire immediately if you read them before you finish eating the cookie.
posted by darksasami at 2:34 PM on August 14, 2008
Mind you, they expire immediately if you read them before you finish eating the cookie.
posted by darksasami at 2:34 PM on August 14, 2008
Since you already admitted that fortune cookies are just for fun, I'm not sure I see the point of your question.
People in my circle don't believe that fortune cookies have any actual predictive powers.
posted by box at 2:37 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
People in my circle don't believe that fortune cookies have any actual predictive powers.
posted by box at 2:37 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
They last until what is written on them happens. Could be 10 minutes, could be 10 years. All fortune cookies are correct.
posted by inigo2 at 2:38 PM on August 14, 2008 [7 favorites]
posted by inigo2 at 2:38 PM on August 14, 2008 [7 favorites]
My mother apparently beleives until the next fortune cookie. She had an amazing one about a decade ago and it was so amazing that she won't eat another fortune cookie. She also won't tell us what it said. Infuriating!
posted by stormygrey at 2:41 PM on August 14, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by stormygrey at 2:41 PM on August 14, 2008 [3 favorites]
One year. Frequently they predict that you will be "crossing great waters" and similar. If you were going to be crossing great waters tomorrow, or next week, or even next month, you'd know about it and wouldn't need a fortune to tell you. Farther out than one year and it's not really a fortune--I mean, most people cross great waters at some point in their lives. So I believe the correct answer is one year.
posted by HotToddy at 2:42 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by HotToddy at 2:42 PM on August 14, 2008
My mom has a fortune taped to her fridge that she got back in the early eighties. Something about "happiness surrounding you". Whenever I'm back in New York and raid the fridge, I see it with it's faded paper and old tape, and it makes me smile - so at this point, it's been almost thirty years, and the fortune is still working.
posted by gyusan at 2:44 PM on August 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by gyusan at 2:44 PM on August 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
I don't know, but I do know the fortune won't come true if you don't eat all of the cookie. (Insofar as fortune-cookie fortunes are genuinely capable of coming true, of course. But, hey, a little harmless superstition can be kind of fun sometimes.)
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:46 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:46 PM on August 14, 2008
What inigo2 said. I think this cookie is saying that one serious trouble will bypass you. Maybe this has already happened.
posted by salvia at 2:47 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by salvia at 2:47 PM on August 14, 2008
Each fortune cookie is mystically calibrated to the confirmation-bias timeline of its owner.
posted by Nattie at 2:48 PM on August 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by Nattie at 2:48 PM on August 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
They last until you are hungry for Chinese food again, which could be 2-3 hours.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:50 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:50 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
I've never had a fortune cookie that really, actually predicted anything. They have vague sayings that aren't pretending to have any insight at all. I guess it's the litigious age we live in. Or California.
posted by sageleaf at 2:51 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by sageleaf at 2:51 PM on August 14, 2008
Well, how long do you plan to stay in bed?
posted by Lou Stuells at 2:51 PM on August 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by Lou Stuells at 2:51 PM on August 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
Mine from 1991 is still in full effect:
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?"
Still have it in my wallet, too.
posted by tristeza at 2:58 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?"
Still have it in my wallet, too.
posted by tristeza at 2:58 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
They last until the next time you're "in bed."
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:00 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:00 PM on August 14, 2008
The only thing fortune cookies are good for is laughs. Read the fortune and then add "in bed".
You will have good luck and overcome many hardships.
You are an outgoing and fun loving person.
He who hurries can not walk with dignity.
Relations are like an investment. The more you put into it, the greater your return.
posted by Daddy-O at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2008
You will have good luck and overcome many hardships.
You are an outgoing and fun loving person.
He who hurries can not walk with dignity.
Relations are like an investment. The more you put into it, the greater your return.
posted by Daddy-O at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2008
I don't have an answer to your question, but if the cookie is already broken when you get it, that means your fortune is the opposite of what is says on the paper.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:03 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:03 PM on August 14, 2008
I've always been fascinated with the tradition of fortunes in fortune cookies, simply because it's a completely fabricated superstition with a (near-)traceable and recent source. This is why I am so enamored with the idea of creating additional sub-superstitions (stitions?) around it, as with the "It won't come true if you read it before you finish the cookie" myth I picked up from a coworker, or even one another colleague had introduced: "It won't come true if you read it. You have to eat the fortune."
That should go some way to answering this remark:
Since you already admitted that fortune cookies are just for fun, I'm not sure I see the point of your question.
It is just for fun, and fun is the point. That, and potentially creating a legacy of silly superstition, as one probably-Japanese immigrant did a century ago, so that others can have fun too. Nothin' wrong with that.
posted by darksasami at 3:04 PM on August 14, 2008
That should go some way to answering this remark:
Since you already admitted that fortune cookies are just for fun, I'm not sure I see the point of your question.
It is just for fun, and fun is the point. That, and potentially creating a legacy of silly superstition, as one probably-Japanese immigrant did a century ago, so that others can have fun too. Nothin' wrong with that.
posted by darksasami at 3:04 PM on August 14, 2008
Best fortune from a fortune cookie:
"You are very fortunate to be able to have this meal."
So, the answer is : forever
posted by Grlnxtdr at 3:06 PM on August 14, 2008
"You are very fortunate to be able to have this meal."
So, the answer is : forever
posted by Grlnxtdr at 3:06 PM on August 14, 2008
Though all you in-bedders, that one was retired with:
"Ideas are like children; there are none so wonderful as your own."
posted by darksasami at 3:07 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Ideas are like children; there are none so wonderful as your own."
posted by darksasami at 3:07 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Until you're hungry again. So, ten, fifteen minutes, max.
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:24 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:24 PM on August 14, 2008
Bawww.
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:25 PM on August 14, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:25 PM on August 14, 2008
It depends on your conduct: if you eat the cookie, the fortune that was inside is no longer any good. Same principle applies to all fortune-tellers. In fact, I think they're the ones who first came up with it.
P.S.: "What you seek will be called chatfilter."
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 3:26 PM on August 14, 2008
P.S.: "What you seek will be called chatfilter."
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 3:26 PM on August 14, 2008
3.14 days, as I recall. Or was that pie fortunes?
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 3:49 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 3:49 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by modernsquid at 2:33 PM on August 14, 2008