In a stew
adjective phrase
Agitated, alarmed, or anxious. For example, Mary was in a stew about how her cake was going to turn out. It is also put as get in or into a stew, as in Every Saturday the minister got in a stew about Sunday’s sermon. This expression transfers the mixture of meat and vegetables constituting a stew to overheated mixed emotions. [ c. 1800 ]
Read Also:
- In a sweat
adjective phrase Upset; irritated; tense; scared: Don’t get in a sweat, I’ll return it at once (1753+)
- In a tailspin
adjective phrase Dangerously out of control: I knew he’d be upset, but he’s gone into a tail spin over this [1928+; fr the downward spinning of an airplane, for which the term is found by 1917]
- In a tight corner
Also, in a tight spot . See under in a bind
- In a tizzy
adjective phrase Very much upset; distractingly disturbed; in a state: I have been in a tizzy since reading his accusations [1935+; origin unknown] see: in a dither
- Inattention
[in-uh-ten-shuh n] /ˌɪn əˈtɛn ʃən/ noun 1. lack of ; negligence. 2. an act of neglect. n. 1710, from in- (1) “not, opposite of” + attention.