red tape

/'red'teip/
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red tape

The new employee was frustrated by all the red tape required to order a single desk lamp.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Needlessly time-consuming procedure: "Red tape" refers to excessive bureaucracy or rigid adherence to official rules and formalities, especially in public business, that causes delay and frustration.
Usage
  • "Red tape" is an uncountable noun. It describes the collective, abstract concept of bureaucratic obstacles, not a single procedure.
  • It is typically used in contexts involving government, administration, or large organizations.
  • It carries a negative connotation, implying that the procedures are inefficient and obstructive.
Examples
  • Noun:
    • Cutting through the red tape to get a building permit took months.
    • The new law aims to reduce the red tape for small businesses.
    • Entrepreneurs often complain about the red tape involved in starting a company.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be tied up in/bogged down by red tape": to be delayed or hindered by bureaucratic procedures.
    • The humanitarian aid was bogged down in red tape at the border.
  • "To cut through/eliminate red tape": to reduce or remove bureaucratic obstacles.
    • The mayor promised to cut through the red tape at city hall.
Variants and Related Words
  • Bureaucracy (n): A system of government or management with many departments and complex procedures. (Often used synonymously with "red tape," though "bureaucracy" can be a neutral term for the administrative system itself.)
  • Formality (n): A procedure that is required by custom or rule. (A single instance, whereas "red tape" implies an accumulation of such procedures.)
  • Officialdom (n): The officials in an organization or government, collectively, often viewed as bureaucratic.
Synonyms
  • Bureaucratic delay: Delay caused by administrative systems.
  • Paperwork: The routine work of writing documents and forms, often seen as a component of red tape.
  • Administrative holdup: A delay caused by administrative processes.
Idioms and Common Phrases
  • A maze of red tape: An extremely complex and confusing set of bureaucratic rules.
    • Navigating the visa application was like finding a way through a maze of red tape.
  • Red-tape mentality: An attitude or mindset focused on following rules and procedures above all else, often at the expense of efficiency or common sense.
red tape

The new employee was frustrated by all the red tape required to order a single desk lamp.

Noun
  1. needlessly time-consuming procedure

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