federal case
English
Etymology
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
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.
Synonyms
- (something over-exaggerated): big deal, big thing, production, meal, song and dance
See also
References
- “federal case”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.