# Why does paper beat rock? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321 "2005-12-12T21:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/21 "2005-12-12T22:43:00Z")
[Another linky](http://www.worldrps.com/) ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/22 "2005-12-12T22:58:15Z")
Could someone please explain what this game is about, and how it’s played? I never heard the expression until a few years ago. Where I grew up, the subject of rock, paper and scissors never came up. What’s it all about, Alfie? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/23 "2005-12-12T23:02:08Z")
Basically you play between two people. Sometimes there’s a little showy “run up” where the players shake their fists three times while saying “One, two, three, shoot” Each person decides whether to play two fingers (scissors), an open hand (paper) or a curled fist (rock). Based on what each person played a winner is determined: Scissors beats paper - because it cuts paper. Paper beats rock - wraps rock. Rock beats scissors - breaks scissors. Often used as a method of deciding something like who goes first, or who rides shotgun, or who has to do the dishes, though you’ll often hear a cry of “Best 2 out of 3” from the loser 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/24 "2005-12-12T23:04:16Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Could someone please explain what this game is about, and how it’s played? I never heard the expression until a few years ago. Where I grew up, the subject of rock, paper and scissors never came up. What’s it all about, Alfie? You start off at the Mornington Crescent Station… ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/25 "2005-12-12T23:16:45Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > Nope, Seinfeld. Kramer said it. Huh. I thought you were referencing the Simpsons episode where Lisa challenges Bart to a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Lisa thinks to herself, “Ah, Bart, so predictable”, while Bart thinks to himself, “Good ol Rock. Nothing beats that!” ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/26 "2005-12-12T23:20:17Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > You start off at the Mornington Crescent Station… Surely you _end_ at Mornington Crescent…? ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/27 "2005-12-12T23:23:50Z")
Personally, I think rock is a victim of its own fears. Rock is claustrophobic. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/28 "2005-12-12T23:25:33Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Surely you _end_ at Mornington Crescent…? You clearly are not familiar with the Rock Paper Scissors gambit… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/29 "2005-12-13T00:00:00Z")
Gary Larson did a Far Side cartoon of cavemen playing Rock Paper Scissors, and one of them was saying “Dang, tied again!”. Of course they could have played Rock, Wood, and “Dert”, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/30 "2005-12-13T00:02:54Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Paper covers rock. Exactly, there has to be something that can beat Rock, or the game would have no point. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/31 "2005-12-13T00:11:27Z")
In the last incarnation of After Dark I had before they went kaput (Lord how I miss After Dark!), there was a “Rock Paper Scissors” screensaver in which the three of them faced off (with scores showing at the bottom) while traveling around the screen. The cool thing was that each one could beat each of the others: Rock beats Paper by jumping through the middle of Paper. Paper beats Rock by covering Rock and “crushing” it. Rock beats Scissors by smashing Scissors. Scissors beats Rock by “drilling” a hole in Rock (or carving it into _The Thinker,_ heh). Paper beats Scissors by wrapping itself around Scissors and throttling it. Scissors beats paper by cutting Paper in half. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/32 "2005-12-13T00:25:01Z")
Good luck beating the [url"=http://chappie.stanford.edu/~perry/roshambo/"]Roshambot. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/33 "2005-12-13T00:26:11Z")
Crap [Roshambot](http://chappie.stanford.edu/~perry/roshambo/) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/34 "2005-12-13T00:47:39Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Exactly, there has to be something that can beat Rock, or the game would have no point. Or \*would \*there? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/35 "2005-12-13T00:54:20Z")
It was Mickey on _Seinfeld_. Courtesy of [Seinfeldscripts.com](http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheStand-In.html): > [@](#): > > KRAMER & MICKEY: Rock, paper, scissors match. > MICKEY: all right, rock beats paper. > KRAMER: I thought paper covered rock? > MICKEY: Nah, rock flies right through paper. > KRAMER: What beats rock? > MICKEY: (looks at his hand) Nothing beats rock. > KRAMER: all right come on. > KRAMER & MICKEY: Rock, paper, scissors match. > KRAMER: Rock. > MICKEY: Rock > KRAMER & MICKEY: Rock, paper, scissors match. > KRAMER: Rock. > MICKEY: Rock. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/36 "2005-12-13T00:59:18Z")
I haven’t thought about it recently, but when I was a kid and played rock-paper-scissors, I somehow came to the conclusion that paper just rubbed the rock into dust; you know, erosion. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/37 "2005-12-13T01:38:41Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > It was Mickey on _Seinfeld_. Courtesy of [Seinfeldscripts.com](http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheStand-In.html): Sorry friend, but according to that cite, the episode aired on February 24, 1994. > [@The Simpsons](#): > > Lisa: Look, there’s only one way to settle this. Rock-paper-scissors. > Lisa’s brain: Poor predictable Bart. Always takes `rock'. Bart's brain: Good ol' `rock’. Nuthin’ beats that! > Bart: Rock! > Lisa: Paper. > Bart: D’oh! Courtesy of [snpp.com](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/9F16.html). From the episode _The Front_, originally aired on [April 15 1993](http://www.duffgardens.net/?go=episodes/S4). ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/38 "2005-12-13T02:12:26Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > Good luck beating the [Roshambot](http://chappie.stanford.edu/~perry/roshambo/). After 10 games, I’m 5/0/5… ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/39 "2005-12-13T02:29:02Z")
When my kids used to playb this, they would say, “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot.” During one particularly crucial contest, my younger son said “Rock, Paper, Scissors, GUN!” He then produced and extended index finger and spread thumb, which he lowered, made the gun sound, and said “You’re dead. I win.” I did have to intervene then and declare him the loser. There is a fine line between “thinking out of the box” and “felony murder.” ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321/40 "2005-12-13T02:31:18Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > After 10 games, I’m 5/0/5… after 26 games I’m 9/9/8 It seems to do about as well as random chace so far [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-paper-beat-rock/335321.md?page=3)