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

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

make a meal of something

or

make a meal out of something

mainly BRITISHIf 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

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

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