A final solution to a situation, usually after much deliberation, and a final acceptance of that fact. It can be giving up on expecting someone to show up, or as it's typically used amongst The Mafia, a death sentence.
The simplest definition is: a ultimate, final acceptance. Period. Past all points or avenues of trying to change the situation. Gun at your head, you're done crying, he's not hearing you out. It is what it is. Get on with it motherfucker!
Frank Sheeran: "Tony told the old man to tell me to tell you... 'it's what it is'"
Jimmy: "What it is?"
Frank: "It's what it is."
Jimmy: *sniffling* "They wouldn't dare"
or
Tim: "The pharmacy won't process my refill. I tried everything."
Nick: "Not even for tomorrow?"
Tim: "It is what it is. I'm out of ideas."
An all but lost phrase from the seventies era of ebonics, the closest contemporary equivalent being, "What up?" WHAT IT IS is often a rhetorical question like, "How's it hanging?" or "What's going on?"
A) A phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually implies helplessness.
B) A phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually means "it will be what it is," as in "it ain't gonna change, so deal with it or don't." See also tough shit, oh well, cry me a river and tfb.
British slang for a scientist or technical expert, esp . when the speaker is not certain of the expert’s specific field of study. Not necessarily derogatory, but typically used by persons without a technical background. In the US, the equivalent would be “egghead”, “squint”, or “geek.”
Origin of the word is unknown. Started sometime in World War 2. Given the typical evolution of British slang, could easily have started because what these experts did was confusing or “baffling” to the common person.
According to the boffins downstairs, the murdererused a serrated blade.
When you have to pee in a movie but don’t want to miss anything, and must do the following mental equation: will the amount I have to pee cause enough discomfort to diminish my attention capacity for the remainder of the movie to an extent which is greater than the amount of the movie I would miss by making a mad dash to the restroom.
I saw Satantango last night, wonderful film but by the 5th hour I had to start doing peecalculus.