Note 181 – The French phrase ‘vis à vis’

Vis à vis is a preposition meaning ‘in relation to’ or ‘regarding’ according to the Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus.  Here are a few facts noted from Phrases.org.uk about the phrase vis à vis:

1. The French spell it vis à vis.
2. The English sometimes miss off the grave accent on the à and print it as ‘vis-a-vis’ or ‘viz-a-viz’.
3. The literal French meaning is ‘face to face’.
4. The author and politian Horace Walpole introduced the phrase in the mid 1800s and the English have used it ever since.
5. Horace Walpole wrote a letter in 1753 which indicated that he was being followed by a vis à vis (a small carriage with people sitting face to face). 

Sentences using ‘vis à vis’

• When meaning ‘in relation to’ it can be used in a sentence as follows: “Where are you vis à vis the finishing line?”
• When meaning ‘face to face’ it can be used in a sentence as follows: “She found herself dancing vis à vis with a prince”.

That’s it for today – I’ll save the phrase ‘dos à dos’ for another day.

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Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance writer
Please visit www.sandramadeira.com for more information on my services as a freelance writer.

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Reference list:

Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus

Phrasefinder Phrases.org.uk