walk on the wild side

plural walks on the wild side

1. idiomaticAn occasion or incident involving adventurous, risky, or morally questionable behavior.

   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.

   2011 December 9, “Shhh...Spy-Worthy Homes for Sale”, in Forbes, retrieved 20 Jun 2013

   1 more example

   [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.

   1988 March 4, Alasdair Marshall, “World of Films: High Stakes and Low Life”, in Evening Times, UK, retrieved 20 Jun 2013

present singular third person walks on the wild side · participle present walking on the wild side · participle past walked on the wild side · past walked on the wild side

1. idiomaticTo behave in an adventurous, risky, or morally questionable manner.

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

   1997 September 19, Janet Maslin, “Film Review: The Dark Underbelly of a Sunny Town”, in New York Times, retrieved 20 Jun 2013

   1 more example

   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.

   2000 December 17, “GM's Aztek: Born To Be A Little Too Wild”, in Businessweek, retrieved 20 Jun 2013

   Synonyms: take a walk on the wild side