let someone stew—(also: leave someone stew) keep a person in a state of uneasy anticipation or suspense:
- For one delicious week I let him stew while he begged and pleaded for his career, his marriage, his reputation.
let someone stew in one’s own juice —(also: leave someone stew in one’s own juice) leave a person to his own devices to suffer the consequences of his own actions:
- Some were saying “well he asked for it, now let him stew in his own juice.”
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase juice someone up—(sl.) stimulate or invigorate a person:
- He’s a former U.S. Navy pilot who was given pills to juice him up for long flights.