English Explanatory Dictionary

boys will be boys

English dictionary entry

Meanings

proverb
  1. It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.
  2. Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish at heart.
  3. Any potentially objectionable behavior (especially predatory sexual behavior) that the speaker considers to be commonly practiced by many boys and men should be viewed as excusable because it comes naturally to them.

Pronunciation

boiz wĭl bē boiz /bɔɪ̯z wɪl biː bɔɪ̯z/ /bɔɪ̯z wɪl bi bɔɪ̯z/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-boys will be boys.wav /boɪ̯z wɪl biː boɪ̯z/ /boɪ̯z wəl biː boɪ̯z/ /bɔjz wɪl biː bɔjz/

Word forms

boys will be boys

Translations

Finnish: pojat ovat poikia French: il faut que jeunesse se passe German: Jungen sind nun einmal so Polish: chłopcy zawsze będą chłopcami Russian: мальчи́шки е́сть мальчи́шки Serbo-Croatian: дечки ће бити дечки Serbo-Croatian: dečki će biti dečki
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