{"id":2893,"date":"2022-04-09T17:38:37","date_gmt":"2022-04-09T17:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2893"},"modified":"2022-04-09T17:38:37","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T17:38:37","slug":"imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for a snappy retort to say to someone that bought the same car or dress as you? If so, you could say, \u201c<em>imitation is the sincerest form of flattery<\/em>.\u201d This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The expression, \u201c<em>imitation is the sincerest form of flattery<\/em>,\u201d means that another person admires what you do. They are willing to copy your lifestyle and behaviors to achieve the same outcomes as you in life. It\u2019s a way of complimenting your sense of individuality by referencing how other people copy your behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cDid you see Mike bought the same car as Jim? It\u2019s like he worships that guy or something. He even got it in the same color! I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy are you wearing the same dress as me? That\u2019s the second time you\u2019ve done that in the last month. Oh well, I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new guy started using Alan's script when calling clients, and he got off the mark right away. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t look at it like that. She\u2019s not copying you by wearing the same outfit. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2894\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Imitation-is-the-Sincerest-Form-of-Flattery.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"151\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2895\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Imitation-is-the-Sincerest-Form-of-Flattery2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"158\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The first adaptations of this proverbial saying appeared in the early 1700s. Still, they would take around two centuries before it appeared in its modern format.<\/p>\n<p>The first known alternate version comes from a\u00a0 biography of the stoic, Marcus Aurelius, written by Jeremy Collier and Andr\u00e9 Dacier, \u201cEmperor Marcus Antoninus his conversation with himself,\u201d published in 1708.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should consider that Imitation is the most acceptable part of Worship. The Gods had much rather Mankind should Resemble than Flatter them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>English author Eustace Budgell would bring the saying closer to its modern iteration by publishing an article in \u201cThe Spectator No. 605\u201d in 1714.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImitation is a kind of artless flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, the author Charles Caleb Colton coined the modern term in 1820.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImitation is the sincerest of flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Colton expressed the idea that imitating someone is to flatter them without being aware one is complimenting them. So, the \u201cartless\u201d appreciation must be \u201csincere\u201d in its intention.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery | TWO MINUTE TIPS\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X7ExeJQ_IwM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Cute copycat.<\/li>\n<li>Walk in my shadow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Go your own way.<\/li>\n<li>Cut your own path.<\/li>\n<li>Be authentic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say It Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>Some people may use the saying in a sarcastic tone. For instance, if someone adopts the same behavior as you, you may find it frustrating. You can use the expression to tell them that you don\u2019t appreciate them copying your style. While this might be technically correct in its context, it\u2019s not the more common use of the expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase It<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the phrase \u201cimitation is the sincerest form of flattery\u201d in professional and social situations. For instance, you could say it if someone publishes a similar article to yours, if they dress like you, or if they adopt any behavior they admire in you.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, you could use it if your friend buys the same model and color car as you. Or if they go out and buy a dress they saw you wearing last week. The saying applies to your career as well. You could use it if another sales rep starts using your script and gets success with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Are you looking for a snappy retort to say to someone that bought the same car or dress as you? If so, you could say, \u201cimitation is the sincerest form of flattery.\u201d This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression, \u201cimitation is the sincerest form of flattery,\u201d means that another [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2893"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3079,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893\/revisions\/3079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}