CONFUSED RANDOM THINKING

When I allow my head to play around with words, it is fun and tasting the words is as good as being at a wine tasting. Some word combinations make it very clear as to what is meant. Vice, according to Wikipedia: Vice is a practice or habit considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness and corruption. The modern English term that best captures its original meaning is the word vicious, which means "full of vice". In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning "failing or defect". Vice is the opposite of virtue. Vice is also a generic legal term for criminal offenses involving prostitution, lewdness, lasciviousness and obscenity. Illegal forms of gambling are also often included as a vice in law enforcement departments that deal with gambling as a crime. Vice President seemed to be one of those word combinations that is particularly misleading from the original intent.

Thus, it was difficult for me to understand why the second 'runner-up' as it were, to our President should be called Vice President....until Dick Cheney took office, that is. Then the apt titling became clear.

Merriam-Webster gives even more fitting meaning to the word preceding President.
Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin vitium fault, vice
Date: 14th century
1 a: moral depravity or corruption : wickedness b: a moral fault or failing c: a habitual and usually trivial defect or shortcoming : foible 2: blemish , defect3: a physical imperfection, deformity, or taint as often capitalized : a character representing one of the vices in an English morality play b: buffoon , jester5: an abnormal behavior pattern in a domestic animal detrimental to its health or usefulness6: sexual immorality ; especially : prostitution synonyms see fault, offense

Now Wikipedia says of Vice President: A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president. It would seem that Cheney took that Latin meaning, 'in place of' and ran for eight years with it. The actual President, who spent most of his time learning to read the speeches his writers gave him, never understood his responsibilities well enough to learn that Cheney wasn't assisting him but was actually running the country himself...though rather poorly. He apparently used the title literally.

Biden, on the other hand, sees his role differently. I think the Vice President would be better titled First Understudy President, Standby President, or Alternate.
English is rather a difficult language because it frequently doesn't seem to give the same meaning to everyone, which, after all, words should do.

When we speak of grass, some think of lawns, others of marijuana. Fair and Balanced, some think of the Goddess of Justice with her scale in hand; others think of Fox News. When a term ends, it terminates. Would it be proper to say that Cheney will also be terminated on 1/20? Probably not but it does illustrate how strange our language is, doesn't it?