Is there a specific textbook or a particular county’s tradition that decided English speakers do it this way, have we ever identified the “patient zero” in this case?
While I’m not familiar with many countries’ methods, in America at least, we not only don’t ever count, but the order is wrong.
We would say “Rock, *paper, scissors*, shoot!!” sticking out your hand on “shoot”. How one holds their hands does differ by region, though.
I always thought this was odd, because the “1, 2, 3” method seems to really confuse children AND makes the whole ordeal unnecessarily long.
Any English teaching historians know how this became the norm in Japan?
Edit: I know there are many different traditions. I’m asking where this one came from.
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My only guess would be the connotations of “shoot” coming off wrong.
Paper, scissors, rock… is how I learnt it.
It’s because they’re trying to match the rythm of 最初はぐ、じゃんけんぽん
1,2,3 is replacing じゃんけんぽん
There’s different versions of the game. The American version is the one you know (though I’ve heard it without “shoot” more regularly than not).
In my town we do the Australian version: “Paper, scissors, rock and go!” It works just fine and is easy to understand.
I always thought it was weird when kids added “1, 2, 3” too. But talking with someone from up north in the US, it seems like it’s normal where she lived! 😳 I was so shocked! I didn’t realize that there were actually so many versions in existence! I’ve always just said: “Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!”
In my hometown (east coast of US), it was “One, two, three, go,” with “go” being the time one put one’s hand out. It was also something only preschoolers did.
You can learn all about it [HERE](https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407?l=en&i=1000548243424)! Enjoy 🙂
I said rock paper scissors shoot on time and my JTE asked me afterwards if it was okay for kids to say shoot. This is the same JTE that asked me if it was okay for kids to say hold up when I said “hold up your whiteboards.”
I dunno whose fault this is but it kinda sounds like it’s based on paranoia.
Shoot? That’s a new one by me.
Asian cultures do R S P. It’s not just Japan. 1 2 3 matches the rhythm of the Japanese way.
America is a big country and there’s different ways of playing it. We did, “Rock, paper, scissors” and would throw down simultaneously when saying “scissors”. I met someone who said they would only say the numbers and omitted rock, scissors, paper all together.
I’ve always used 1, 2, 3 on the East Coast.