red tape
RED TAPE
/ˌred ˈteɪp/
Excessive bureaucracy or adherence to official rules and formal procedures, especially causing delay or inaction.
Always carries a negative connotation of frustrating, redundant administrative obstacles.
The story behind the word. In 16th-century England and Spain, legal and official government documents were physically bound together using reddish-pink cotton ribbon. Opening and re-tying these bundles took considerable time, leading the ribbon to symbolize cumbersome administrative delays.
Word relationships
- officialdom: Officialdom refers to official routines or authorities collectively, whereas red tape focuses specifically on obstructive procedural rules.
- paperwork: Paperwork is neutral documentation, while red tape denotes unnecessary or overly complex documentation.
- streamlining: Streamlining means removing unnecessary procedural steps to make a system efficient.
Commonly confused with
- protocol: Protocol refers to necessary formal etiquette or scientific procedure, whereas red tape refers to wasteful procedural friction.
Collocations
- cut through red tape
- bureaucratic red tape
- tangled in red tape
- eliminate red tape
Idioms & expressions
- cut the red tape
Example sentences
- "Little other than a bundle of Red Tape, ties, and sealing-wax remained to bind the departments together." Critique of historical administrative inefficiency
- "Entrepreneurs often complain that excessive red tape delays the launch of new commercial ventures." Small business development initiative
Memory hook
Picture having to physically cut through miles of bright RED TAPE just to open a single office door. Tied up in paperwork.
When not to use
Do not use to describe essential safety laws or constitutional safeguards that are necessary and deliberate.
Fun facts
- King Henry VIII's petitions to Pope Clement VII regarding his annulment were bound with official red ribbon, preserved to this day.
Related words
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