make a meal of/out of something

make a meal (out) of (something)

1. To prepare and eat some food and consider it a full meal, even though it may not resemble a traditional meal. I haven't had a chance to go to the grocery store, but we can probably make a meal out of whatever's left in the fridge. Back in college, we often made a meal of crackers and peanut butter—it was all we could afford!

2. To do more work than is necessary when completing some task. I just need a rough summary of the numbers for the report—don't make a meal out of it.

See also: make, meal, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

make a meal of something

 

1. to eat something. The cat made a meal of the fish. They made a meal of the roast beef and enjoyed it very much.

2. to eat enough of something to consider it or have it as a full meal. I really don't want to make a meal of lettuce alone. Can we make a meal of this turkey, or should we save some for sandwiches?

See also: make, meal, of

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

make a meal of something

or

make a meal out of something

mainly BRITISH

If someone makes a meal of something or makes a meal out of it, they spend too much time or energy on it. He's only been asked to write a brief essay but he's making such a meal of it. Only spend an hour or so on the task — don't make a meal out of it.

See also: make, meal, of, something

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

make a meal of

treat a task or occurrence with more attention or care than necessary, especially for effect. British informal

1961 Colin Willock Death in Covert Dyson… was making a meal of everything. He had carefully paced the distance…He had stuck sticks in the ground.

See also: make, meal, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

make a ˈmeal of/out of something

(informal) do something with more effort and care than it really needs; treat something as more serious than it really is: Just write her a short note — don’t make a meal of it. ♢ It’s only a small mistake. There’s no need to make such a meal out of it, is there? OPPOSITE: make nothing of something (1)

See also: make, meal, of, out, something

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017