General
versing
What does versing mean?
Competing against another team or person; a back-formation from 'versus' popular with kids and now widely used.
"Who are we versing this weekend?"
Origin
Back-formation from 'versus' reinterpreted as a verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does versing mean?
It means playing or competing against an opponent — 'who are we versing?' means who are we up against.
Is versing correct English?
It's non-standard but very widely used, especially by kids. It arose from people treating 'versus' as if it were a verb ('to verse').
Where does versing come from?
It's a back-formation from 'versus', which children reinterpreted as a verb, then spread into general Australian speech.
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