arsy-varsy

[ ahr-see-vahr-see ]

adjective

1. wrong end foremost; completely backward:

   an arsy-varsy way of doing things.

adverb

1. in a backward or thoroughly mixed-up fashion:

   The papers are all filed arsy-varsy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of arsy-varsy¹

1530–40; probably alteration of Latin vice versa ( vice versa ), with arse substituted to make a facetious rhyming compound; for Latin versa > varsy, argal ²