arsy-varsy

[ ahr-see-vahr-see ]
/ ˈɑr siˈvɑr si /
Informal.

adjective

wrong end foremost; completely backward: an arsy-varsy way of doing things.

adverb

in a backward or thoroughly mixed-up fashion: The papers are all filed arsy-varsy.
Also ar·sy·ver·sy [ahr-see-vur-see] /ˈɑr siˈvɜr si/.

Origin of arsy-varsy

1530–40; probably alteration of Latin vice versa (see vice versa), with arse substituted to make a facetious rhyming compound; for Latin versa > varsy, cf. argal3

Words nearby arsy-varsy