I have seen the word 'arch' used as a verb in the context of a villain causing trouble for a hero, or a hero thwarting a villain. It is also used when a villain is actively trying to become a hero's primary nemesis. I've only seen it in comedic or informal settings, or when talking about a hero/villain relationship. It probably sprang from 'arch-enemy', but I'm trying to find where and when this phrasing was first used. Can this be sourced to a particular work? How long has this usage been around?
Learn English – How did ‘arching’ come into use as a verb meaning ‘to thwart’
etymologyneologismsslangverbs
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Best Answer
I think the verb to arch (to be an arch-enemy or do arch-enemy things against a hero) is from The Venture Bros. cartoon and mostly restricted to the programme and its fans.
The top entry on Urban Dictionary is:
You'll notice the tags include "venture bro", so it appears to be only used in reference to the The Venture Bros. cartoon. The person who added it used a username, Dr. Girlfriend, which is an alias of the character Dr. Mrs. The Monarch in the same cartoon.
The Monarch used the verb in episode 36, "The Lepidopterists" of The Venture Bros. (original airdate: Aug 3, 2008):
It was also used in episode 30 (June 22, 2008):
In Episode 34 (July 20, 2008):
And Episode 10 (October 9, 2004):
The verb is used a lot by fans in The Archer Bros. wiki.