From playful one-liners to pop-culture riffs, these quotes show how Rock Paper Scissors slips into everyday decisions, literature, and comedy. Use them to break the ice, settle a tiny dispute, or just get a laugh.
“Authentic kindness has a power greater than rock, paper, and scissors combined.”
-- Toni Sorenson
“At 5.45 a.m. the important scientists finished their coffee and played Rock Paper Scissors to see who had to phone the government.”
-- Mitch Benn
Shows how even serious moments can turn on a simple, neutral tiebreaker.
“Rock Paper Scissors is the story of two friends, a murder and a revenge.”
-- Anonymous (meme)
Paper covers rock (friends), scissors cuts paper (the “murder”), rock crushes scissors (revenge).
“Jealousy always trumps schadenfreude! It's a rule from the heartbreak version of ‘rock, paper, scissors.’”
-- Julie Klausner
“It’s very simple. Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and it always has, rock crushes scissors.”
-- Popular culture (RPSLS)
The extended “Lizard–Spock” variant popularized by TV and fandoms.
“Three has always been my favorite number… Rock, paper, scissors… the good, the bad, and the ugly… need I go on?”
-- J.M. Darhower
Why threes feel satisfying. RPS is a tidy, balanced trio.
“We breathe and breathe… She picks up her fist. I do the same… Rock/Rock… Scissors/Scissors… ‘Yes!’ she cries. ‘We still got it!’”
-- Jandy Nelson
A sweet take on synchronicity and connection through RPS.
“I'm still going to love you, always. And in the rock-paper-scissors of life, love is rock. Fear, anger, everything else… no contest.”
-- Sara Zarr
“Instead of Rock, Paper, Scissors, you could play Brick, Blanket, Action Fingers, in which brick cripples action fingers, blanket smothers brick and action fingers beats blanket.”
-- Nicole McKay
A playful reminder that variants are endless. Just define the cycle.
“Their version of rock-paper-scissors was elephant, mouse, and ant… the ant crawled up the elephant's trunk and paralyzed his brain.”
-- Colin Cotterill
Different symbols, same intransitive loop.
“Let us settle this like adults: Rock, Paper, Scissors!”
-- Anonymous
“If any game had to be crowned the international time-pass game, it would surely be this one.”
-- Unknown
How to Use These Quotes
- Break a stalemate: Drop the “settle this like adults” line to defuse tension.
- Icebreaker: Riff the RPSLS chain to get a laugh and change the subject.
- Caption fuel: Pair any quote with a photo of hands mid-throw.
Know another great RPS quote? Add it to your house list and credit the source when you can.