Revised as of
8 Jan 2023
Another easy word confusion, which begs the question: How does anyone screw this one up? If you’ve been relying upon spellcheck, that’s one answer. Spellcheck only verifies that a word is spelled correctly, not if it’s contextually correct. The other answers are either a mistype or not knowing the difference. This last is why I do the word confusions . . . *grin* . . .
Verses are poetry turned into a music whether it be set to musical notes and sung or merely spoken or read.
Versus is much more adversarial. It’s us versus them, dog versus cat, classical versus hip hop, terrorist versus the rest of us . . . And no, that is not a judgment.
As for vs., it’s an abbreviation of versus.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Verses | Versus | Vs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
This limerick of verses is courtesy of Web Exhibits‘ Poetry through the Ages. |
Cavalry versus Infantry by H. Bullock Webster is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
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| Part of Grammar: | |||
| Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Singular noun: verse Third person present verb: verses |
Preposition | Abbreviation; Preposition | |
| Adjective: Of, relating to, or written in verse Noun:
[Literary] Poesy (yes, it’s a real word) Verb, intransitive: [Archaic] Versify To versify or engage in versifying Verb, transitive: To familiarize by study or experience [Slang] To play against (an opponent) in a competition |
Preposition: Against, facing, confronting (especially in sports and legal use) As opposed to, in contrast with
|
Abbreviation: Versus Also, v. or v Preposition: As opposed to, in contrast with
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| Examples: | |||
| Adjective: He has a thing for verse plays. “To be considered verse drama, significant portions of the play should be in verse to qualify” (Verse). “Dramatic poetry is any poetry that uses the discourse of the characters involved to tell a story or portray a situation” (Verse). Another form of dramatic verse are “dramatic monologues, such as those written by Robert Browning, and Alfred Tennyson, and Shakespeare” (Verse). Noun: He’d composed a sweet ballad of verses to woo his bride. It was a lament in verse. Oh, not another verse drama. The second verse was worst than the first. She also inspires poets to put pointless incidents from their everyday lives into verse. Verb, intransitive: A litany of lies he will verse with reverences for God and the flag and democracy, when just what he and his party are doing to our democracy is choking the life out of it. Verb, transitive: He gonna verse me in Mario Brothers. It’s Boston verses Chicago. |
It’s an examination of self-interest versus self-sacrifice.
It’s a tricky decision, deciding when to use up on versus upon in a sentence. She’s in the kitchen weighing the pros and cons of organic versus inorganic produce. |
It’s man vs. wild on this TV program.
Which version do you prefer? The book vs. the movie. It’s a question of pen vs. computer. The fight is Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran. Roe v. Wade is a controversial legal case. |
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| Derivatives: | |||
| Combined form: -verse Noun: underverse, verselet, versifier, versification, versify Verb, transitive: versify |
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| History of the Word: | |||
| Old English fers, from the Latin versus meaning a turn of the plow, a furrow, a line of writing, from vertere meaning to turn; reinforced in Middle English by the Old French vers, also from the Latin versus. | Late Middle English from a medieval Latin use of the Latin versus meaning toward. | ||
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Verses v Versus v Vs.
Apple Dictionary.com
AZ Dictionary: versify (<https://www.azdictionary.com/sentence/versify”>)
The Free Dictionary.com: verse
“Verse Drama and Dramatic Verse.” Wikipedia. 15 Oct 2022. Web. 8 Jan 2023. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verse_drama_and_dramatic_verse>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Fanny Hill Cover, 1910, which was uploaded by Chick Bowen and transferred by Gavin.perch, was originally uploaded on en.wikipedia. It is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, and is a total contrast with the Bible.
