Fig.: to indulge in excesses and behave promiscuously when young

John now is married and has settled down, but before he met his wife, he certainly sowed his wild oats and chased every girl in town

Giovanni ora è sposato e ha messo la testa a partito, ma prima di conoscere la sua futura moglie ha corso la cavallina rincorrendo tutte le ragazze del paese

I couldn't believe it when I was told that my quiet and gentle grandfather he spent his college years sowing his wild oats

Non potevo crederci quando mi hanno detto che mio nonno, tanto calmo e tranquillo, ha passato gli anni dell'università correndo la cavallina

The wild oat is a useless weed and since ancient times has been correlated to young people wasting their time away with reckless and promiscuous activities