federal case
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
In the United States of America, courts with federal jurisdiction generally are for much more serious offenses than those whose cases are heard by local courts.
Noun[edit]
federal case (plural federal cases)
- (informal) Any over-exaggerated ordeal.
- So I didn't put the toilet seat down — you don't have to make a federal case out of it.
- 2010, Zachary Klaas, Time Tourists, page 122:
- You think I'm some kind of codependent ditz overwhelmed by reality outside of Catholic school, and I'm not supposed to make a federal case out of it?
Synonyms[edit]
- (something over-exaggerated): big deal, big thing, production, meal, song and dance
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- “federal case”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.