red tape
This page is about the idiom red tape
Meaning
Strict adherence to rules and regulations so that a procedure seems to take longer than necessary.
For example
- It takes a long time to set up a company in some countries because of all the red tape involved in getting government permits.
- It took two weeks to get visas for our aid workers because of all the red tape.
Origin: Probably related to the fact that bundles of official government documents are often tied together with red tape.
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Contributor: Matt Errey