Why do we say "That's the way the cookie crumbles"?

Well-Known Expressions

That's the way the cookie crumbles

Meaning:

That's the way life is.

Background:

The origin of this expression is unknown but it has been in use since at least the 1950s. It is a variant on the expression "such is life".

"Such is life" appears to have originated in the 18th century. For example, Joseph Baretti's A Grammar of the Italian Language (1762) translates "Cosi va'l mondo!" as "Such is life". The expression is also mirrored in French as "C'est la vie" ("that's life").

More expressions and their source

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