In Defense of “Versing”

In the everyday chatter of my household, my 11-year-old asked, “Who are we versing on Saturday?”

Translation: “Who are we playing against?” That’s pretty clear.

All three of my kids (and most of their friends) comfortably slip "versing" into their conversations. Yet, by the purist's rulebook, “versing” is not a word. As a writer and dad, I’ve always felt it my place to correct them.

But over time, I've surrendered. I’ve realised that language serves a simple purpose: communication. And language is like a river, always flowing and occasionally bursting its banks.

Sometimes, the current of change is far too powerful to oppose.