make a meal of

make a meal of
a) To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

Some people can make a meal out of the simplest task. If you give it to a busy person, they don’t have time to muck around on the edges and worry about it — they’ll just do it.

b) To eat something as a meal.

They both looked good – I would have been happy with either version. There was no point in making a meal of the decision, so I just picked up the one which was nearest to me on the desk and said, ‘We’ll go with this one.’


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  • make a meal of — see under ↑meal1 • • • Main Entry: ↑make make a meal of 1. To consume as a meal 2. To enjoy to the full 3. To treat or perform in an unnecessarily laborious or meticulous way • • • Main Entry: ↑meal …   Useful english dictionary

  • make a meal — If someone makes a meal of something, they spend too long doing it or make it look more difficult than it really is …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • make a meal of — ► make a meal of Brit. informal carry out (a task) with unnecessary effort. Main Entry: ↑meal …   English terms dictionary

  • make a meal out of — make a meal (out) of 1 : to eat (a particular food) as your meal without anything else This bread is so good, I could make a meal of it. 2 Brit, informal : to do (something) in a way that makes it seem more important or difficult than it really… …   Useful english dictionary

  • make a meal of Brit. — make a meal of Brit. informal carry out (a task) with unnecessary effort or thoroughness. → meal …   English new terms dictionary

  • make a meal (out) of (something) — British & Australian to spend more time or energy doing something than is necessary. I only asked her to write a brief summary of the main points but she made a real meal out of it …   New idioms dictionary

  • make a meal —    If someone makes a meal of something, they spend too long doing it or make it look more difficult than it really is.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • make a meal of something — informal 1) to treat something as more important or serious than it really is I know I was wrong, but you don t need to make such a meal of it. 2) to take more time or care than is necessary when you are doing something He really made a meal of… …   English dictionary

  • make a meal of something — …   Useful english dictionary

  • meal — [ mil ] noun *** 1. ) count an occasion when you eat, especially breakfast, lunch, or DINNER: The medicine should always be taken with meals. go out for a meal (=go to a restaurant): We could go to a movie, or go out for a meal. main meal (=the… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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