Letters

I spend my summer in Amagansett and always look forward to reading The Press at the end of each week. I’m a fan of your publication.

That said, I was surprised to read a subheadline on the front page of the July 17 issue that reads: “During Prohibition, many flounted the law to distribute booze.”

The word “flounted” does not exist in the English language. The appropriate word should have been “flouted,” which is often confused with the word “flaunted.” In this case, it seems the headline writer curiously formed an amalgam of the two words.

The great grammarian William Safire once wrote a wonderful essay in The New York Times Magazine on the subject, “If You Got It, Flaunt It” (published 1997). It is still relevant today.

Enjoy.

Raul R. Rodriguez

Amagansett

Guilty, and redfaced — Ed.