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In Swedish, we have an idiom that goes, "to suck on the/that caramel [for a while]" and is used either when you need to contemplate a decision ("I'll have to suck on that caramel for a while before deciding.") or to try and figure something out ("He had been sucking on that caramel just as long as I had, but neither of us had an answer.")

I can't find a good English equivalent to the second meaning of the idiom, but I'm sure there is one. So, I need an idiom for trying/having tried to figure something out (without luck, so far.)

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A similar idiom in English: "I'll have to chew on that for a while."

How it may affect your dental health compared to sucking caramal is debatable.

Less interesting, but gets the job done: to mull something over.

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    This answer has the merit of being metaphorically similar.
    – Lambie
    Jan 22, 2019 at 17:02
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    Also chew it over.
    – 1006a
    Jan 23, 2019 at 2:31
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I think rack one’s brain may fit in your context:

to strain in mental effort, esp to remember something or to find the solution to a problem.

(Collide Dictionary)

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think something over TFD an idiom:

  • to think about something and whether one will choose to do it.
  • I need a few minutes to think it over. Let me think over your request for a day or so.
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