English

Noun

walk on the wild side ‎(plural walks on the wild side)

1. (idiomatic) An occasion or incident involving adventurous, risky, or morally questionable behavior.
   • 1988 March 4, Alasdair Marshall, "World of Films: High Stakes and Low Life," Evening Times (UK) (retrieved 20 June 2013):

     [S]he is drawn inexorably into the shady, but dangerously exciting world of one of her patients, a compulsive gambler. Her walk on the wild side leads her to a low-life gambling den, The House of Games.

   • 2011 Dec. 9, "Shhh...Spy-Worthy Homes for Sale," Forbes (retrieved 20 June 2013):

     Thanks to the likes of James Bond, the trappings of spy-dom have long attracted jealous eyes and vivid imaginations of many who long for a walk on the wild side of espionage.

Verb

walk on the wild side ‎(third-person singular simple present walks on the wild side, present participle walking on the wild side, simple past and past participle walked on the wild side)

1. (idiomatic) To behave in an adventurous, risky, or morally questionable manner.
   • 1997 September 19, Janet Maslin, "Film Review: The Dark Underbelly of a Sunny Town," New York Times (retrieved 20 June 2013):

     L.A. Confidential . . . walks on the wild side with brief and startling violence, fleeting nudity, sexual situations and redolent seamy details.

   • 2000 Dec. 17, "GM's Aztek: Born To Be A Little Too Wild," Businessweek (retrieved 20 June 2013):

     GM rolled the dice on a lifestyle vehicle that promised only modest sales. . . . That's the risk GM took when it decided to walk on the wild side.

Synonyms

• take a walk on the wild side

References

• walk on the wild side at OneLook Dictionary Search