To Make a Meal out of Something

Today’s phrase is a new one for me, to make a meal out of something.  It was brought to my attention from a friend of mine.  I am always up for learning something new, so I appreciate it.  To make a meal out of something is when you take a simple task or explanation and make it needlessly complex or long.

Example:  Just write me a simple letter, don’t make a meal out of it. 

It seems that this phrase is mostly used in a negative context.  It is often preceded with the warning, DON’T (as in “don’t make a meal out of it.”)   However, it can also be used in a positive sense as well.  Perhaps someone can make a meal out of a task that they enjoy.

Example:  He really made a meal out of that speech. 

To make a meal out of something dates to the 19th century.  It is an allusion to sitting down to eat an elaborate feast when a simple snack would fill your stomach.

This phrase seems similar to “don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”  A mole is a small rodent that digs holes.  The displacement of soil leads to very small hills in the soil.  So, if you make a mountain out of that mole hill, you are trying to make it sound like the molehill is much more impressive than it actually is.  While “don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” is often used to caution someone against exaggeration, “don’t make a meal out of it” appears to warn the listener against doing too much.

British people, tell me if I went wrong.  I am unsure about the positive meaning of this phrase and would appreciate a fuller understanding of this idiom.

 

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Reference:
https://idiomorigins.org/origin/make-a-meal-of-something

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