An invitation to think carefully about or consider a piece of information, suggestion, or idea; to ponder or reflect on something.
This phrase extends the metaphor of mental digestion, comparing deep thinking to the process of chewing food thoroughly before swallowing. The expression became popular in American English in the mid-20th century, building on the established tradition of using eating metaphors for mental processes.
The chewing metaphor is particularly apt because just as thorough chewing breaks down food for better digestion, careful mental 'chewing' breaks down ideas for better understanding. Research in cognitive psychology shows that people who spend more time processing information - essentially 'chewing' it mentally - retain and understand it better than those who try to 'swallow' it quickly.
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