The name underscores the nature of same-sex love and suggests that it is just as legitimate as its opposite-sex counterpart. Vice Versa is also the name of what is considered the first lesbian magazine in the U.S., launched in 1947 by Edythe Eyde under the pseudonym Lisa Ben, an anagram for lesbian. It also may have helped inspire the 1972 novel Freaky Friday and its subsequent film adaptation. The book was variously adapted to the stage and the screen, including one film adaptation in 1988 starring Fred Savage and Judge Reinhold. Thomas Guthrie’s 1882 Victorian novel, Vice Versa: A Lesson to Fathers, tells the story of a father and son who, through magical hijinks, switch places for a time (boy to man and man to boy, or vice versa). Or maybe because it’s just fun to say, what with its bouncy alliteration inspiring the playful vicey-versey by the 1850s.Īs such a common expression, vice versa has been featured in a number of popular works over the years. It does see a boost in printed popularity beginning in the 20th century, perhaps with the rise of public education, literacy, and access to classical literature. Though a learned Latin term, vice versa has become a common and widespread phrase in English, used in many different contexts.
The Latin phrase vice versa literally means “with the position turned.” It’s first seen in English in the early 1600s as a way to say “conversely.” The expression became a convenient way to show reciprocity and complementarity (e.g., We will watch your dog when you’re out of town and vice versa).