What it means
Means making a big fuss over something that should be quick and simple. You stretch a five-minute job into a whole performance, with extra steps, too much thinking, and a load of unnecessary faffing. Usually said when someone's being slow, overcareful, or dramatic about an easy task.
Usage examples
"He went to change the bulb and came back with a YouTube tutorial, a stepladder and a head torch. Proper made a meal of it."
"It was a five-minute job, but he made a real meal of it, took the whole afternoon and three cups of tea."
"Do not make a meal of the apology, just say sorry plainly and we can all move on with our evening."
"I only asked him to send the email, but he's making a meal of it like he's launching a space mission."
"Come on, don't make a meal of it, it's just a flat-pack shelf, not open-heart surgery."
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Where it comes from
This is an old British idiom that’s been around since the 19th century. The picture behind it is dead simple: instead of getting something done quickly, you treat it like a whole ceremonial spread and give it way more time, fuss, and attention than it deserves.
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