I mean, it doesn't sound bad.
July 9, 2011 6:23 PM Subscribe
A family member once received an inscrutable fortune from a fortune cookie: "The rubber bands are heading the right direction." Googling has revealed other people similarly afflicted, but has not revealed any useful clues to the meaning. Does anyone have a guess as to what proverb is being mistranslated here?
I think it means that things are coming closer together and that you are attracting the right things into your life.
posted by katypickle at 7:05 PM on July 9, 2011
posted by katypickle at 7:05 PM on July 9, 2011
Best answer: Ruining this with explication would be like taking apart a sphere.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 7:06 PM on July 9, 2011 [14 favorites]
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 7:06 PM on July 9, 2011 [14 favorites]
If I were writing the sayings for fortune cookies, I would come up with random crap like this just to confuse people. Think about how much time you've spent thinking about this one sentence. That's *power*! :)
posted by jrockway at 7:40 PM on July 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jrockway at 7:40 PM on July 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is just a guess. The I Ching uses the metaphor of binding a lot. You might try looking up meanings in China associated with bindings. Actually, the book of changes also uses the concept of direction, cardinal direction, weather related direction and body orientation direction.
posted by effluvia at 8:02 PM on July 9, 2011
posted by effluvia at 8:02 PM on July 9, 2011
Bad translation based on Chinese character(s) with multiple English meanings? See: stir-fried wikipedia, Please not to fuck to burn, etc.
posted by AkzidenzGrotesk at 8:52 PM on July 9, 2011
posted by AkzidenzGrotesk at 8:52 PM on July 9, 2011
The largest fortune cookie manufacturer is a company called Wonton Food. It seems their VP, Donald Lau, used to write the fortunes, but more recently, it seems he outsources fortune-writing duties to freelancers.
Wonton Food does have a contact form, and they list their phone number on the same page. Maybe you could ask them about it, though given the volume of fortunes they produce, I don't know if they'd necessarily be able to tell you anything about its meaning, or even know for sure who wrote it.
Also, I found that this question appeared on Jennifer 8. Lee's blog, and no one had any answers. Lee wrote a high profile book that's partly focused on Americanized Chinese food (or perhaps more aptly, Sinicized American food?), so I feel like if there's anyone who'd already know, it would be her. But maybe nobody thought to ask the source! I might call them myself Monday am.
posted by lesli212 at 9:40 PM on July 9, 2011
Wonton Food does have a contact form, and they list their phone number on the same page. Maybe you could ask them about it, though given the volume of fortunes they produce, I don't know if they'd necessarily be able to tell you anything about its meaning, or even know for sure who wrote it.
Also, I found that this question appeared on Jennifer 8. Lee's blog, and no one had any answers. Lee wrote a high profile book that's partly focused on Americanized Chinese food (or perhaps more aptly, Sinicized American food?), so I feel like if there's anyone who'd already know, it would be her. But maybe nobody thought to ask the source! I might call them myself Monday am.
posted by lesli212 at 9:40 PM on July 9, 2011
Though the rubber band can be stretched out, it always returns to its original shape?
posted by easy, lucky, free at 11:40 PM on July 9, 2011
posted by easy, lucky, free at 11:40 PM on July 9, 2011
the real question is - how funny it it when you play the "in bed" game?
The rubber bands are heading the right direction... in bed.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:18 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
The rubber bands are heading the right direction... in bed.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:18 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mod note: There's something called "rubber band skipping," or "Chinese jump rope" Youtube that originated in China.
If the fortune has anything to do with this, I'd interpret it as successfully navigating tricky situations, putting the right foot forward, sidestepping troubles and obstacles.
.....................................
The rubber bands are heading the right direction... in bed.
Used condoms that have been reprocessed into rubber bands and hair ties have been sold in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, raising concerns about public health.
Hmmm. How are they even collecting these used condoms? Much to think about here.
posted by taz (staff) at 3:08 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
If the fortune has anything to do with this, I'd interpret it as successfully navigating tricky situations, putting the right foot forward, sidestepping troubles and obstacles.
.....................................
The rubber bands are heading the right direction... in bed.
Used condoms that have been reprocessed into rubber bands and hair ties have been sold in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, raising concerns about public health.
Hmmm. How are they even collecting these used condoms? Much to think about here.
posted by taz (staff) at 3:08 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ruining this with explication would be like taking apart a sphere.
But taking apart a sphere can lead to such interesting results.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:53 AM on July 10, 2011
But taking apart a sphere can lead to such interesting results.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:53 AM on July 10, 2011
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posted by Knappster at 6:47 PM on July 9, 2011