What do You Mean by the Idiom “Sow Wild Oats”?

To sow wild oats means —

• to live promiscuously and self-indulgently;
• to have sexual intercourse with many people in one’s youth;
• to engage in foolish things in one’s youth.

“Wild oats” is a European grass species whose formal name is “Avena fatua”. It is a weed — an unwanted byproduct — that is useless as a cereal crop, but it has been a problem for farmers since ancient times because its seeds are difficult to separate from those of useful cereals. As a result, its seeds tend to survive and grow and multiply each year.

The link between sowing seeds and young men engaging in whimsical sexual activities is easy to make because even if a young man engages in sexual promiscuity, he does not want to produce unwanted children, he just wants to enjoy himself.

‘Wild oats’ as an unwanted byproduct is a metaphor for unwanted children in this expression.

Let’s see an example —

“Given that Frank has sown some wild oats in his youth, I won’t be surprised to learn that he has children he doesn’t know about.”

It means that Frank was so promiscuous in his youth, he so freely engaged in sexual activities with different partners that he might have illegitimate children and might not even be aware of them.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.