Boys will be boys

1. Children can be expected to act in a childish way.

“Boys will be boys” is often applied to grown men who act childishly.

Idioms and Phrases

One can expect boys to act childishly or misbehave, as in We told the kids not to eat in the living room, but when we got home there was a big mess there—oh well, boys will be boys. This term came from a Latin proverb, translated as “Children [boys] are children [boys] and do childish things.” In English it was first recorded in 1589.

Example Sentences

Maggie, in contrast, is a woman who appears to view her underage son’s years of DUIs and car crashes as a phase, another way boys will be boys.

Read more on Salon

"It's due to the normalisation of these situations, the attitude that boys will be boys and it's something women should put up with," added Rhiannon, who is from Llanelli.

Read more on BBC

In the end, boys will be boys.

Read more on Slate

“Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Boys will be boys! And we will let their public sparring continue. And you guys should all be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history."

Read more on Salon