Angela’s ABCs – words sometimes confused: flout and flaunt
Flaunt and flout are both verbs which sound sort of similar, but they don’t mean the same thing.
When you flaunt yourself, your wealth, or your accomplishments, you’re parading them in front of people, displaying them ostentatiously and showing off.
- It sometimes seems that Facebook is just a vehicle for people to flaunt their fabulous holidays, their amazingly successful children and their sporting achievements.
- The male peacock flaunts his fabulous plumage in the hope of attracting the female.
When you flout something, you openly disregard it, scoff at it, mock it, or show scorn and contempt for it.
- When a driver flouts the rules of the road by running a red light, he must accept responsibility if there is a crash.
- President Trump has flouted many of the norms of society by his racist and sexist comments, his disregard for the independence of the judiciary and his unsubstantiated accusations against political rivals.
verbalberbal 
After reading your article, I wondered if you had ever read “round robin” letters which you may be lucky enough to receive with your Christmas cards. We used to receive one every year from people who were neighbours of ours years ago. Well, one day I was in Tesco’s when I happened upon the author of one of these said missives. I greeted her and she looked mystified. She obviously didn’t know who the devil I was. I said you may not remember me, but I know everything about you and your family!!
I refrained from the comment I know our Em would have said. Needless to say, we know nothing about their super, brilliant children, house, village and anything else they needed to show off about.
Sorry about all that, but I needed to get it off my chest.
By the way, Ange, do get in touch when you’re next in the Old Country.
Round robin letters are a very good example of people flaunting their and their children’s accomplishments. I often think it would be good to write a round robin letter detailing that so-and-so is coming to the end of his jail term, that so-and-so is getting married for the fourth time, that so-and-so is doing well working at KFC and so on and so on.
I will certainly get in touch when we are back in UK which will be at the end of March. Looking forward to seeing you!