navel

contemplate (one's) navel

To be excessively focused on one's personal problems or concerns. Good luck getting John's attention—he's too busy contemplating his navel to help anybody else.
See also: contemplate, navel

gaze at (one's) navel

To be excessively focused on or preoccupied with one's personal problems or concerns. Good luck getting John's attention—he's too busy gazing at his navel to help anybody else.
See also: gaze, navel

navel-contemplation

The act of excessively focusing on one's personal problems or concerns, to the exclusion of other people or other issues. She said my navel-contemplation was one of the biggest reasons she broke up with me. If our party is going to be successful in the future, then we can't be dragged down by navel-contemplation about the loss of this election.

navel-gazing

The act of excessively focusing on one's personal problems or concerns, to the exclusion of other people or other issues. She said my navel-gazing was one of the biggest reasons she broke up with me. If our party is going to be successful in the future, then we can't be dragged down by navel-gazing about the loss of this election.

proud below the navel

obsolete Having an erect penis. Primarily heard in UK. A: "I think that Sir Edgar grows proud below the navel every time he sees you, dear sister." B: "Oh, hush! Someone from the garden might hear us!"
See also: below, navel, proud
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

navel-gazing

or

navel-contemplation

If you accuse someone of navel-gazing or navel-contemplation, you are criticizing them for thinking only about themselves and their own problems or activities, rather than the problems or activities of other people. Tory MP Martin Brison says he is more interested in developing policies for the future than in navel-gazing about the past. He called for an end to Labor's post-election navel-gazing. Note: Navel-gazing can be used before a noun. The film is a sort of navel-gazing look at Hollywood. Note: You can also say that someone gazes at their navel or contemplates their navel. The Institute has always been notorious for contemplating its own navel. Note: These expressions are used to show disapproval. Note: Your navel is your tummy button or belly button.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

contemplate your navel

spend time complacently considering yourself or your own interests; concentrate on one issue at the expense of a wider view.
See also: contemplate, navel
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • contemplate
  • contemplate (one's) navel
  • contemplate your navel
  • gaze
  • gaze at (one's) navel
  • navel-contemplation
  • contemplation
  • navel-gazing
  • low blow
  • breakneck
References in periodicals archive
The candidate navel regions are then selected using the positional relationship with the already detected nipple regions.
Harmful Content Detection Based on Cascaded Adaptive Boosting
The Changes of sugar-acid ratio of navel orange fruits from different eco-regions
Study on the sugar-acid ratio and relevant metabolizing enzyme activities in navel orange fruits from different eco-regions/Estudo sobre a relacao acucar-acido e atividades relevantes metabolizadoras de enzima em frutos de laranja de umbigo de diferentes ecoregioes
Navels from Chile, Australia and South Africa also had a good run, he notes, as did clementines and navels from Uruguay, which Oppy introduced last year.
The Surge in Citrus
Potential licensees in the body jewelry accessories industry are currently being targeted as candidates to eventually commercialize Navel Novelties on a worldwide basis.
Innovation Direct[TM] to Serve as Official Liaison Between Navel Novelties Invention and Potential Licensees
This infection may occur soon after the birth and may also result in omphalitis omphalophlebitis omphaloarteritis or urachitis of the urachus (Ganga that become source of navel infection include when an umbilical cord is cut at a level very close to abdominal wall of calf poor navel hygiene practices and unfavorable environmental conditions such as parturition of cow in unhygienic calving pens inadequate colostrum feeding within six hours after calving or having the umbilical stump sucked on by other calves if newborn calf is mixed with other calves after calving (Smith 2003).
Parenteral Combined with Topical Treatment of Navel Ill in Cow Calves
Each kind of injury may make it easier for the navel orangeworm larvae that hatch from the eggs to find their way to food (the nutmeat) and the shelter of the husk's interior.
New lure may help growers combat almonds' no. 1 insect pest: navel orangeworm
The highest incidence was of urachus pervious which could be due to incomplete closure of urachus after birth, possibly because of navel pull at navel region and highest occurrence of acquired abdominal disorder was of umbilical abscess which was due to presence of infection at navel region.
Surgical management of abdominal affections--a clinical study of 39 calves
Navel ill occurs when the infection is localised to the umbilicus and surrounding area.
Prevention better than cure; Navel and joint ill in calves can have devastating consequences, but preventation and early treatment can be very effective, says IAIN R CARRINGTON
Practical problems of this kind demonstrate how fatuous it is to dismiss all constitutional debate as futile navel gazing.
Practical issues show how wrong it is to deny Wales its right to have borrowing powers; Western Mail
In the great navel origins debate, Ortlieb and collaborator Peter Economy award exclusive credit to Mrs.
Creating an Orange Utopia: Eliza Lovell Tibbets and the Birth Of California's Citrus Industry
The small scar where my navel ring used to be doesn't bother me.
How body modification ended the war against my body
Addressing the opining session, the minister of environment and tourism , Abdullah Kona asserted on the government keenness to protect the maritime environment and counted the risks caused by ships Balancing water due it mixed with different kinds of oils addition to the wastage of navel transportation which spoil the naval life.
Convening the national workshop on activities water in Red Sea and Aden Gulf
Co-written by the great-great-granddaughter of Eliza Lovell Tibbets, Creating an Orange Utopia: Eliza Lovell Tibbets and the Birth of California's Citrus Industry is the amazing true story of how one pioneer woman's determination brought navel oranges as an agricultural crop to California.
Creating an Orange Utopia
New York, July 9 (ANI): Scientists have found that the human navel plays host to a number of unknown strains of bacteria.
Human navels harbour 1,400 strains of bacteria!