stew in one's juices

• stew in one's own broth
• stew in one's own gravy
• stew in one's own grease
• stew in one's own juice
• stew in one's own juices

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stew in one's juices (third-person singular simple present stews in one's juices, present participle stewing in one's juices, simple past and past participle stewed in one's juices)

1. (idiomatic) To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.
   • 1914, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 16, in The Long Chance:

     "Nothin' like mystery to keep that rotten little camp up on its toes," he muttered. "I'll just leave that mess to stew in its own juices for a while."

   • 1987 June 15, Joe Gergen, “Casey still striking out”, in The Sporting News, retrieved 21 June 2009:

     [H]e had come to deliver young Kiner to the police station. There, he said, he was left to stew in his juices for an hour, during which he conjured visions of cruel and inhuman punishment.

   • 2007 June 12, Damon Hack, “Golf: Pressure and Stress of Waiting”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 June 2009:

     Unable to run around a field or court, "these golfers are stewing in their juices," he said. '"They have nowhere to go but think about what might happen," he added.

• fret, fume, mope