People often confuse “flout” and “flaunt”. But two distinct words collapsing into one really can rob the language of valuable subtlety
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskBut the picture is not simple. Shakespeare goes on to say that the woman he is addressing is “more lovely and more temperate” and that she, unlike a summer’s day, will never fade. Some commentators say, then, that the rhetorical question is meant to be answered with a “no”, because of the differences he then stresses. In that case, though, what follows is a textbook example of comparing her “with”, not “to”, a summer’s day.
“Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage” examined many literary examples of “compare” followed by “with” and “to”. Its editors found that after the active form the distinction is kept more often than not, but scarcely uniformly. After the past participle the variation is in effect random. In the end, “The rule can be looked upon as a guide that you may choose to observe if you wish to. Many writers obviously do not.
Yet careful writers and keen readers know that some distinctions are genuinely vital, and that eroding these invites confusion. It is clear enough why people mix up, including sensible writers who are in a hurry. Not only do they sound similar; both involve acting with a kind of insouciant brio. But if you flout the distinction, warnsRelaxed observers sometimes note that language changes, as though nothing can be done about that, and, since the process is natural, nothing should be attempted.
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