oẳn tù tì
Definition
- Noun:
- Rock-paper-scissors: A hand game, often used as a random selection method between two or more people, especially by children to decide who goes first in a game or to settle a minor dispute. Players simultaneously form one of three shapes with an outstretched hand: a fist (rock), a flat hand (paper), or a V-shape with index and middle finger (scissors). The winner is determined by the rules: rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Chúng tôi chơi oẳn tù tì để xem ai phải đi lấy bóng. (We played rock-paper-scissors to see who had to go get the ball.)
- Oẳn tù tì là cách nhanh nhất để quyết định. (Rock-paper-scissors is the quickest way to decide.)
- Hai đứa trẻ chơi oẳn tù tì, "Một, hai, ba!" (The two children played rock-paper-scissors, "One, two, three!")
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often chanted rhythmically as "Oẳn tù tì, ra cái gì, ra cái này!" just before players reveal their chosen hand shape. This chant is an integral part of the game's ritual in Vietnamese culture.
Variants and Related Words
- Kéo-búa-bao: A common alternative name for the same game in Vietnamese, literally meaning "scissors-hammer-cloth".
- Chúng ta chơi kéo-búa-bao nhé? (Shall we play rock-paper-scissors?)
Synonyms
- Rock-paper-scissors: The standard English term.
- Roshambo: A common informal name in English.
Related Idioms
- While not a traditional idiom, the game itself is a cultural idiom for making a quick, fair, and random decision. The act of playing is often invoked in speech, e.g., "" meaning "Let's settle it with rock-paper-scissors."