stew (redirected from stews)

*in a stew (about someone or something)

Fig. upset or bothered about someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~.) I'm in such a stew about my dog. She ran away last night. Now, now. Don't get in a stew. She'll be back when she gets hungry.

get (oneself) into a stew (over someone or something)

Fig. to be worried or upset about someone or something. Please don't get yourself into a stew over Walter. Liz is the kind of person who gets into a stew over little problems.

See also: get

stew in one's own juice

Fig. to be left alone to suffer one's anger or disappointment. John has such a terrible temper. When he got mad at us, we just let him go away and stew in his own juice. After John stewed in his own juice for a while, he decided to come back and apologize to us.

See also: juice

Too many cooks spoil the stew. and Too many Cooks spoil the broth.

Prov. Cliché Too many people trying to manage something simply spoil it. Let's decide who is in charge around here. Too many cooks spoil the stew. Everyone is giving orders, but no one is following them! Too many cooks spoil the broth.

See also: cook, many, spoil

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be in a stew  (old-fashioned)

to be worried and confused about something She was in a stew over the party arrangements.

leave somebody to stew  also let somebody stew

if you leave someone to stew, you leave them to worry about something bad that has happened or something stupid they have done I could have said a few comforting words and made him feel better but I thought I'd let him stew a while instead.

See also: leave

stew in your own juice/juices  (informal)

if you leave someone to stew in their own juice, you leave them to worry about something bad that has happened or something stupid they have done She'll calm down - just leave her to stew in her own juices for a bit.

See also: juice