Language: en
Meaning: ; (idiomatic)That's life;expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaintSynonyms:c'est la vie,(vulgar)life's a bitch,(vulgar)shit happens,such is life;see alsoThesaurus:that's lifeUnfortunately the insurance doesn't cover that. Sorry, butit is what it is.1926March 8, “La Semaine du Parlement”, inTime:I shall not criticize the Treaty of Versailles. It is a fact.It is what it is.2005November 20, Viv Bernstein, “Stewart Poised to Head Onto Road Less Traveled”, inNew York Times, retrieved24 July 2008:I would prefer to start further up than where I am, butit is what it isand we'll just go out there and get to work.2020,Bob Dylan,Murder Most Foul:Air Force One comin' in through the gateJohnson sworn in at 2:38Let me know when you decide to throw in the towelIt is what it is, and it's murder most foul; ; (by extension)Let it be;acceptthefactand let the matterrest.(by extension,sometimes)Who cares?;I don't care.[1]2023September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, inNew York Times[2], retrieved13 September 2023:But more important, while I am aware that "it is what it is" can be used in the "que sera sera" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect. Rather, it is an example of how common it is in language for words and expressions to have more than one meaning, despite the fact that we rarely notice it.[…]Regarding my troubles, he detachedly intoned, "Well, it is what it is."[…]I recounted thinking: What a gorgeously chilly way of saying "Your problems don't matter to me." He was not using the phrase's other, "que sera sera" meaning, counseling me to accept how things unfold in a Zen-like way. / Those who think of the Zen version of "it is what it is" aren't wrong, however: It is often used that way when referring to oneself, for example. But those who agree with me that the expression can be dismissive are also correct in thinking of dismissive exchanges such as my own. "It is what it is" has two meanings. / The issue here is language change. The expression "it is what it is" began as counsel about coping. However, an implication floats over the proactive, constructive intent of the phrase: its element of distance, coolness, indifference. Implications like this can take over the word or expression's meaning and create either a new meaning or at least an alternative, 2.0 version.; Used other than figuratively or idiomatically:seeit,is,what,it,is.This thing has its owndistinctnature; this thing is itself.1690,John Locke,An Essay Concerning Human Understanding:That every thing has a real constitution, wherebyit is what it is, and on which its sensible qualities depend, is past doubt.
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