Lout vs. Tout — What's the Difference?

Characterized by crude behavior.

Sometimes associated with deceptive sales tactics.

Often clumsy or awkward in social settings.

Promotes or advertises something vigorously.

An uncouth and aggressive man.

Used in sports for selling tips or bets.

Disregard for refinement and politeness.

Often seen selling in a persistent manner.

Associated with rudeness and lack of sophistication.

Can be involved in soliciting customers or clients.

An awkward and stupid person; an oaf.

A tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner (generally equivalent to a solicitor or barker in American English, or a spruiker in Australian English). An example would be a person who frequents heavily touristed areas and presents himself as a tour guide (particularly towards those who do not speak the local language) but operates on behalf of local bars, restaurant, or hotels, being paid to direct tourists towards certain establishments.

To bow or curtsy.

To promote or praise energetically; publicize

To bend or stoop.

To solicit or importune

A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent person; a yob.

Chiefly British To obtain or sell information on (a racehorse or stable) for the guidance of bettors.

A clownish, awkward fellow; a bumpkin.

To solicit customers, votes, or patronage, especially in a brazen way.

To treat as a lout or fool; to neglect; to disappoint.

Chiefly British To obtain and deal in information on racehorses.

To bend, bow, stoop.

One who solicits customers brazenly or persistently

To bend; to box; to stoop.

Chiefly British One who obtains information on racehorses and their prospects and sells it to bettors.

To treat as a lout or fool; to neglect; to disappoint.

Chiefly Scots and Irish Slang One who informs against others; an informer.

A clownish, awkward fellow; a bumpkin.

Someone advertising for customers in an aggressive way.

An awkward stupid person

A person, at a racecourse, who offers supposedly inside information on which horse is likely to win.

(colloquial) An informer in the Irish Republican Army.

A spy for a smuggler, thief, or similar.

(card games) In the game of solo, a proposal to win all eight tricks.

(transitive) To flaunt, to publicize/publicise; to boast or brag; to promote.

To spy out information about (a horse, a racing stable, etc.).

To give a tip on (a racehorse) to a person, with the expectation of sharing in any winnings.

To spy out the movements of racehorses at their trials, or to get by stealth or other improper means the secrets of the stable, for betting purposes.

To act as a tout; to give a tip on a racehorse.

(intransitive) To look for, try to obtain; used with for.

(obsolete) To look upon or watch.

To act as a tout. See 2d Tout.

To ply or seek for customers.

To look narrowly; spy.

To spy out the movements of race horses at their trials, or to get by stealth or other improper means the secrets of the stable, for betting purposes.

To toot a horn.

To spy out information about, as a racing stable or horse.

One who secretly watches race horses which are in course of training, to get information about their capabilities, for use in betting.

One who gives a tip on a race horses for an expected compensation, esp. in hopes of a share in any winnings; - usually contemptuous.

One who solicits custom, as a runner for a hotel, cab, gambling place.

A spy for a smuggler, thief, or the like.

In the game of solo, a proposal to win all eight tricks.

The anus.

Someone who buys tickets to an event in order to resell them at a profit

Someone who advertises for customers in an especially brazen way

One who sells advice about gambling or speculation (especially at the racetrack)

Advertize in strongly positive terms;

Show off

Yes, tout can have a positive meaning when referring to someone enthusiastically promoting something worthwhile.

A lout is an uncouth and often rude individual known for crude and clumsy behavior.

To tout means to promote or sell something aggressively and vigorously.

Louts exhibit socially inelegant and rude behavior, while touts are focused on promotion and sales, sometimes aggressively.

Yes, calling someone a lout is derogatory as it highlights their crude and socially unacceptable behavior.

A tout can be perceived negatively if their methods of promotion are pushy, misleading, or overly aggressive.

Yes, in some contexts, particularly in financial markets or ticket scalping, touting can involve legal concerns such as fraud or illegal sales tactics.

Louts are typically antagonistic or comedic characters due to their rough manners, while touts vary widely from cunning and clever to annoying and intrusive.

Being a lout can lead to social ostracism, disrespect, and difficulty in forming positive relationships.

Theoretically, anyone promoting something can be considered a tout, especially if they do so aggressively or in a public manner.

While not directly related to appearance, the term often implies a lack of care or refinement in both behavior and appearance.

"Lout" comes from the Old Norse word "lutr," meaning a clumsy, stooping figure, which reflects the derogatory nature of the term.

Cultural perceptions vary, but generally, louts are universally seen negatively, whereas touts can be viewed more favorably if their promotions are seen as beneficial or genuine.

Not necessarily, touting can occur both in person and online, wherever promotions or sales are possible.

Yes, professionals in marketing, sales, or public relations might tout products or services as part of their job.