Idioms – Choose the option that best explains the meaning of the highlighted expression in context. Sentence: Since he knew what would happen, he should be left to “stew in his own juice.”

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Suffer for his own act

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The colourful idiom “stew in one's own juice” means to suffer the unpleasant consequences of one's own actions, often after being warned. The culinary image suggests being left in the mess one has created until it becomes uncomfortable enough to learn from it.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The subject acted with knowledge of the likely outcome (“he knew what would happen”).
  • The recommendation is nonintervention: let him face consequences.
  • We need a paraphrase that expresses accountability for one's own deed.


Concept / Approach:
Idioms of consequence focus on responsibility. The correct option must articulate that he should suffer because of his own act, not because of external forces. A literal paraphrase mentioning “juice” adds nothing; the evaluation must be moral and causal: cause (his act) → effect (his suffering).


Step-by-Step Solution:

Extract cause-and-effect: he acted knowingly; now he must face results.Choose the option that encodes consequence for one's own deed.Reject literal or partial interpretations (“Make a stew,” “Boil,” “Suffer in his own juice”).Confirm alignment with typical usage in discipline, parenting, or ethics.


Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute: “he should be left to suffer for his own act.” The sentence remains natural and true to the idiom. Standard glosses define the phrase as “to suffer the consequences of one's own actions.”


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Make a stew: Literal cooking instruction; irrelevant.
  • Boil: Physical process; lacks moral-consequence meaning.
  • Suffer in his own juice: Merely repeats the figurative image without clarifying accountability.


Common Pitfalls:
Taking the culinary metaphor too literally or choosing a paraphrase that does not spell out responsibility. Exams reward clarity about cause and effect.


Final Answer:
Suffer for his own act

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