| OCR Text |
Show Sowing One's "Wild Oats" Old English Expression To "sow wild oats" means to commit com-mit youthful excesses or (o spend one's time in dissipation. It usually implies subsequent reform. The expression originated, so far as known, among the country folks of England. Wild r oals a (nil grass resembling the culll- ' vated oat and probably Its original progenitor is a common weed In grain Holds. It Is natural that a weed so common and obnoxious should become the subject of a comparison among (he country people. The expression dates back as far at least as the Sixteenth century. At lirst it merely meant sowing sow-ing worthless seed or seed which would produce a worthless crop. The moral meaning was a natural transition transi-tion from (he literal significance. lie who wasles the precious days of his youthful prime in dissipation is sowing seeds which will grow up lmi obnoxious ob-noxious weeds. I'atiiiiniler Magazine. |
