red tape
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red tape
Where it comes from
Alluding to the former practice of binding government documents in red-colored tape. First use appears c. 1658 in the publication Public Intelligencer. See cite below.
noun
- The binding tape once used for holding important documents together. The use of red tape for tying up papers is of considerable antiquity. An advertisement in the Public Intelligencer, December 6, 1658, offers the reward for a restoration of a 'A little bundle of papers tied with a red tape, were lost on Friday last was a sevennight, between Worcester House and Linco
-
Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.
All the red tape and paperwork that goes on there prevents any progress.
Similar: administrivia, administrativia, paperwork
Translations
Every language
noun excessive bureaucracy
| Español | papeleo, burocracia, cinta roja, expedienteo, papelerío, trámites |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 번문욕례 beonmunyongnye, 레드 테이프 redeu teipeu |
| 日本語 | 繁文縟礼 hanbun jokurei, レッドテープ reddo teepu, お役所さんの仕事 o-yakusho-san no shigoto |
| 中文 | 繁文縟節 /繁文缛节 fánwénrùjié, 繁文縟禮 /繁文缛礼 fánwénrùlǐ, 官僚習氣 /官僚习气 guānliáo xíqì |
| हिन्दी | लालफ़ीता lālfītā |
| Português | burocracia |
| Français | impôt papier, paperasse f paperasserie |
| Deutsch | Amtsschimmel |
| Русский | бюрократи́зм bjurokratízm, канцеля́рщина kanceljárščina, волоки́та volokíta |
Talk about this word "red tape." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/red%20tape. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. red tape. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/red%20tape "red tape." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/red%20tape.Cite this
@misc{red_tape_2026,
title = {red tape},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/red%20tape},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
