flout
verb

- to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom

- to flout something, such as a law or rule, is to treat it with contemptuous disregard

Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

Mid 16th century, perhaps from Dutch fluiten “whistle, play the flute, hiss (in derision)”; German dialect pfeifen auf, literally ‘pipe at’, has a similar extended meaning.

Although the exact origins of "flout" are unclear, it emerged as a verb in the mid-16th century with the sense of treating something with disdain or mockery, potentially drawing on associations with the sound of a flute.

The verb has maintained this core meaning over the centuries.

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FAMOUS FEMALE FLOUTERS

- Simone de Beauvoir = a French writer and existentialist philosopher, de Beauvoir challenged traditional notions of femininity and wrote extensively on women's rights.

- Emmeline Pankhurst = a leading figure in the British suffragette movement, she and her followers used militant tactics to advocate for women's right to vote.

- Amelia Earhart = the pioneering aviator broke numerous aviation records and challenged gender norms in her pursuit of adventure and exploration.

- Rosa Parks = her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

- Jane Fonda = the actress and activist gained notoriety for her outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War and her controversial visit to North Vietnam in 1972.

- Madonna = the pop icon has frequently pushed boundaries and challenged societal norms throughout her career.

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REBELLIOUS PHRASES

- give the birdie / raspberry = to stick out your tongue and make a rude rasping sound as an insult or to show contempt.

- kick over the traces = to rebel against authority or convention, like a horse kicking free of its harness traces.

- play fast and loose with = to treat rules/laws carelessly or deceitfully, not taking them seriously.

- pour contempt upon = to show utter disdain or scorn for someone or something.

- rail / rebel against = to protest vehemently against rules, authority or accepted conventions.

- refuse to budge / comply = to stubbornly defy orders or requests, refusing to follow instructions.

- ride roughshod over = to trample on or utterly disregard rules, rights or feelings without care or respect.

- scoff at = to mock, deride or treat with contemptuous disbelief.

- stick the tongue out at = a childish gesture of defiance or disrespect.

- thumb one's nose = to make an insulting gesture of derision or scorn by putting the thumb to the nose.

- tread underfoot = to show utter disregard for rules/laws by treating them as worthless.

- turn a deaf ear = to refuse to listen to advice, requests or commands.

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SELECTED SYNONYMS

affront, blatantly disregard, blithely ignore, brush aside, cock a snook, defy convention, disavow, discountenance, FLOUT authority (convention, the law), give the birdie (the raspberry), kick over the traces, play fast and loose with, pour contempt upon, rail/rebel against, refuse to budge (to comply), ride roughshod over, ridicule, scoff at, stick one's tongue out at, thumb one's nose at, tread underfoot, treat with disdain, turn a deaf ear

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“To be a pioneer means to FLOUT convention — avoiding garden-variety solutions.”

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