A quick word … an outbreak of flaunting

There’s been an outbreak of flaunting. Look at these examples:

• People who flaunt the new rules for gatherings of six … face fines of up to £3,200. (Telegraph.co.uk)
• It only takes a few to flaunt the rules … (WalesOnline)
• Thousands of Wuhan drinkers flaunt social distancing rules … (Daily Mail)

Spot the mistake? All of that flaunting should be flouting.

Flout means to openly disregard a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to display something ostentatiously.

See Oxford Dictionaries for more on this common mistake.

See all posts from the ‘quick word’ series