red tape
noun
- noun The binding tape once used for holding important documents together.
- noun (metonymic, idiomatic) Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures. “All the red tape and paperwork that goes on there prevents any progress.”
Synonyms
administrivia administrativia paperwork bureaucratic procedure
Etymology
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.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “red tape”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details