the way the cookie crumbles

that's the way the cookie crumbles

There is nothing we can do about the way things have unfolded, especially bad ones, so there is no reason to be upset about it. I'm pretty gutted about not getting into the grad school program I wanted, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.See also: cookie, crumble, way

the way (or how) the cookie crumbles

how things turn out (often used of an undesirable but unalterable situation). informal, chiefly North AmericanSee also: cookie, crumble, way