Some friends and I recently considered the difference between a power move and a flex. At first there was a holdout who thought they were the same thing. Au contraire. Our discussion began with watches, which is, alas, the natural realm of the flex. As are cars. Basically things that men wear or drive then brag about.
A flex is an overt gesture, usually related to money, and too often bearing a logo. Wearing a recognizable gold watch is a flex, which is one-dimensional and lacks imagination. The implication is that we all compete on a playing field and owning an Aston Martin means you’ve won.
Enter the power move. This is more nuanced, often quietly scathing and generally well-practiced by the British. The power move is intriguing. You don’t always know when it’s being deployed. When you do realize it it’s too late, you might find it employed at your expense. A power move is when you email your friend about lunch and his assistant replies. So that’s how it is. You don’t have to love it, but it gets your attention.