brown study

plural brown studies

1. datedidiomaticA melancholy mood accompanied by deep thought; a moody daydream.

   Major Valentine came in—to find me in a brown study.

   1918, Joseph Smith Fletcher, “Chapter III: The Covent Garden Fruit Shop”, in Paul Campenhaye, Specialist in Criminology

   5 more examples

   Phædra. [...] Why Soſia! What, in a brown Study? / Soſia. A little cogitabund, or ſo; concerning this diſmal Revolution in our Family!

   1690, [John] Dryden, Amphitryon; or, The Two Sosia’s. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […]; and M. Tonson […], published 1691, →OCLC, Act III, pages 29–30

   So gathering up the shavings with another grin, and throwing them into the great stove in the middle of the room, he went about his business, and left me in a brown study.

   1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

   Finding that Holmes was too absorbed for conversation, I had tossed aside the barren paper, and leaning back in my chair, I fell into a brown study. Suddenly my companion's voice broke in upon my thoughts.

   1893, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

   After that he kept such a silence, falling as it seemed to me into a brown study, that he went away without so much as bidding me farewell, or being conscious, as far as I could tell, of my presence.

   1893, Stanley J. Weyman, “Chapter II. The King of Navarre”, in A Gentleman of France

   Once or twice she spoke harshly to Louis; she fell at other times into a brown study; and when she thought that I was not watching her, her face wore a look of deep anxiety.

   1894, Stanley J. Weyman, “Chapter IV”, in Under the Red Robe