wild (redirected from runs wild)

go hog wild

Rur. to behave wildly. Have a good time at the party, but don't go hog wild. The teacher cannot control a class that is going hog wild.

See also: hog

go wild

Fig. to get very excited. At the end of the football game, the kick was good and the crowd went wild.

hog wild

wild; out of control. I went hog wild at the sale and bought six new pairs of shoes. There were a dozen different desserts at the picnic. A person who liked sweets could go hog wild.

See also: hog

run riot and run wild

Fig. to get out of control. The dandelions have run riot in our lawn. The children ran wild at the birthday party and had to be taken home.

See also: riot, run

send someone on a wild-goose chase

Fig. to send someone on a pointless or futile search. You sent me on a wild-goose chase! There are no straw hats for sale anywhere in town! Fred was sent on a wild-goose chase while his friends prepared a surprise party for him.

See also: chase, send

sow one's wild oats

to do wild and foolish things in one's youth. (often assumed to have some sort of sexual meaning.) Jack was out sowing his wild oats last night, and he's in jail this morning. Mrs. smith told Mr. smith that he was too old to be sowing his wild oats.

See also: oat, sow

wild about someone or something

very excited about someone or something. I'm just wild about comedies. John is wild about antique cars.

wild and woolly

Inf. exciting. Things get a little wild and woolly on a Friday evening at Wally's place. The ride home was a little wild and woolly.

See also: and

Wild horses couldn't drag someone away (from something.)

Prov. Someone is determined to remain with something. Once Elaine starts playing a video game, wild horses can't drag her away from it. Jim was determined to remain fishing at the lake. Wild horses couldn't drag him away from it.

See also: away, couldn't, drag, horse

wild-goose chase

a worthless hunt or chase; a futile pursuit. I wasted all afternoon on a wild-goose chase. John was angry because he was sent out on a wild-goose chase.

See also: chase

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not in my wildest dreams

if you say that you did not imagine something in your wildest dreams, you mean that something that has happened was so strange that you never thought it would happen Never in my wildest dreams did I think she'd actually carry out her threat. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined England winning 4-1.

See also: dream

a wild card 

1. someone or something that you do not know much about and whose behaviour in the future you cannot be certain of The real wild card is the undecided vote, which accounts for 18 to 25 percent of the electorate. The company is fast gaining a reputation as the wild card of Wall Street because of violent fluctuations in its profits.

2. if someone gets a wild card or is a wild card in a sports competition, they are allowed to enter the competition without passing the usual tests She was included in the European team as a wild card.

See also: card

a wild-goose chase

a situation where you waste time looking for something that you are not going to find, either because that thing does not exist or because you have been given wrong information about it After two hours spent wandering in the snow, I realised we were on a wild-goose chase. When I found out that there was no Anita Hill at the university, I began to suspect that I had been sent on a wild-goose chase.

See also: chase

beyond your wildest dreams

far more than you could have hoped for or imagined Twenty years later the company has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Her books have brought her riches beyond her wildest dreams.

See also: beyond, dream

go hog wild  (American informal)

to become too excited and eager about something, often so that you do too much There's no need to go hog wild just because it's Sarah's birthday - she won't want such a fuss.

See also: hog

into the wide/wild blue yonder  (literary)

if you go into the wide blue yonder, you go somewhere far away that seems exciting because it is not known I have a sudden desire to escape, to head off into the wide blue yonder and never return.

See also: blue, wide

run riot 

1. if people run riot, they behave in a way that is not controlled, running in all directions or being noisy or violent I dread them coming round because they let their kids run riot.

2. if your imagination runs riot, you have a lot of strange, exciting, or surprising thoughts My imagination was running riot, thinking of all the ways that I could spend the money.

See read the riot act

See also: riot, run

sow your wild oats

if a young man sows his wild oats, he has a period of his life when he does a lot of exciting things and has a lot of sexual relationships He'd spent his twenties sowing his wild oats but felt that it was time to settle down.

See You reap what you sow

See also: oat, sow

wild horses

if you say that wild horses couldn't make you do something, you mean nothing could persuade you to do it Wild horses couldn't drag me to a party tonight.

See into the wide blue yonder, sow wild oats

See also: horse

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wild about somebody/something

to like someone or something a lot He's totally wild about her! I'm not wild about apples.

wildest dreams

the things that you have imagined, expected, or hoped for His company has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she'd actually carry out her threat.

See also: dream