"To feel one's oats" is related to horses

Posted by SCBert on May 09, 2003

In Reply to: To Feel (and Sow) One's Oats posted by Bookworm on May 05, 2003

: : What does "feel one's oats" mean, as in the following?

: : "And it's not just investment bankers: corporate insiders across America are feeling their oats."

: : Thanks in advance for any information.

: Feeling one's oats mean to feel particularly frisky and in a good mood, especially for sexual activity of some sort. There is also a phrase "sow one's oats" which means to get all the wild behaviour out of one's system before one settles down to marry.

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I did not think this one was controversial. I have heard that since horses are fed mostly hay and grass but on less frequent occassions oats. Some apparently believe that after eating the oats a horse is more strong-willed and more difficult to deal with.

I would think "sowing one's oats" is simply a metaphor of "sowing" used to describe a young man's period of filandering before marriage.