A fool flaunts his folly.
A fool flaunts his folly.
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes a fool display their folly openly. It criticises pride or conspicuousness in conduct the speaker considers unwise.
Example
A reader asks what the displayed act involved before accepting the speaker’s judgment of it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Flaunts adds showiness to the negative judgment. A useful application can ask what action is being celebrated and why it is troubling, rather than assuming confidence itself is foolish. The labels need evidence about the actual behaviour.
When to use it
Use it to examine conspicuous conduct without equating visibility with folly.
Keep in mind
Confidence or visibility alone does not establish foolishness.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 153; PDF page 26
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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