Showing results for make a federal case of. Search instead for make a mental note of.

make a federal case of

Idioms

Also, make a big deal of. Give undue importance to an issue, as in I'll pay you back next week—you needn't make a federal case of it, or Jack is making a big deal of filling out his passport application. The first hyperbolic expression, almost always used in a negative context, alludes to taking a legal action before a high (federal) court. The second alludes to an important business transaction (see big deal, def. 1).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Along the way, make a mental note of how the exercise feels.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2024

Or do I contact everyone individually before gatherings and make a mental note of everyone’s health status?

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2020

I make a mental note of another Perret principle, that every window should provide a glimpse of both sky and verdure.

From Washington Post • Jul. 20, 2017

I couldn’t help but make a mental note of Patrick’s speech patterns.

From MSNBC • Nov. 4, 2014

I make a mental note of where the employment offices are, and now I can leave.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023