# What's the origin of the for the name of the game  "Ro Sham Bo" ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251 "2002-05-10T08:27:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251/1 "2002-05-10T08:27:02Z")

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Otherwise known as rock, paper, scissors. I did a quick search and only came up with an alternate version of the game where the contestants kick each other in the nut’s until all but one cries uncle. I guess only guys played 😛  
I was thinking possibly ro=rock, etc. in some vernacular. Anyone know the real deal?

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**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251/2 "2002-05-10T10:22:18Z")

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Don’t know why the game got the name, but the real name is spelled “Rochambeau,” and is named after a French General who lived around the Revolutionary War time.

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251/3 "2002-05-10T10:25:47Z")

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Hmm. It seems that the origins of the name [have stumped our very own SD staff](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html).

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-for-the-name-of-the-game-ro-sham-bo/108251/4 "2002-05-10T11:52:05Z")

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[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77188&highlight=rock+paper+scissors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77188&highlight=rock+paper+scissors)