make a federal case of

Idioms  

1. 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).

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Example Sentences

“They would say: Let’s not make a federal case of it for the average person because it’s not worth it to bring a case unless there’s reason to be concerned that there’s a public safety issue or the trust that everyone is treated equally under the law is at stake.”

From New York Times

No need to make a federal case of this.

From New York Times

Employees with a mental illness are generally protected from discrimination by U.S. disability-rights law, but few care to make a federal case of it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Do you remember when people used to say, usually in the midst of a tiff with a loved one, "Well, you don't need to make a federal case of it."

From US News

Maybe those folks aren’t any more enthused about their bosses than a worker at American or United, but they tend to defuse your wrath enough that a flight problem doesn’t spur you to make a federal case of it. is an associate editor for Businessweek.com.

From BusinessWeek