Buzz
In certain circles, the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors is also known as roshambo. This term is particularly common on the West Coast of the U.S., especially in northern California. In 2016, the Slate podcast Lexicon Valley invited Wall Street Journal language columnist Ben Zimmer to explore the history behind the name roshambo.
One legend traces the term back to Comte de Rochambeau, a French nobleman who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, even getting a mention in the popular musical Hamilton. His name was reportedly used as a codeword during the Battle of Yorktown, where he commanded French forces.
However, Zimmer told Lexicon Valley that “there’s no historical proof linking it to the Revolutionary War.” The earliest known reference to roshambo as a term for the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors appears in the 1936 book The Handbook for Recreation Leaders, published in Oakland, California, where it was spelled as “ro-sham-beau.”
Zimmer clarifies that the Comte de Rochambeau had no connection to the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. The game originated in China as early as the 1600s before it spread to Japan, where it was referred to as 'Jon Ken Pon.' It eventually made its way to Europe in the early 20th century and reached the United States in the 1930s.
The San Francisco area, with its large East Asian immigrant population, likely played a key role in introducing early versions of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Zimmer suggests that children in the 1930s became familiar with the Japanese term 'Jon Ken Pon.' Although historical evidence is scarce, he posits that the name might have been transformed by Bay Area kids, possibly influenced by their knowledge of the Revolutionary War, into the more Americanized 'roshambo.'
For the full episode, visit Slate.
