What does the idiom red tape mean?

Definition of red tape
: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction bureaucratic red tape … enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.— John Weisman …
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What is an example of red tape?

Red-tape definition

Red tape is defined as a lot of official forms and procedures that are involved before something is accomplished. An example of red tape is when you have to fill out tons of annoying forms just to get a driver's license. (idiomatic) Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.
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How do you use the idiom red tape?

Example Sentences
  1. She could have finished the project last week, but it was impossible to cut through all the red tape.
  2. The red tape we had to get through to push the department changes forward was unbelievable.
  3. The clerks in the back office absolutely thrive on red tape.
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What does red tape mean synonym?

In this page you can discover 20 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for red-tape, like: bureaucratic paperwork, inflexible routine, bureaucracy, official procedures, city-hall, proper channels, wait, bureaucratic rules, inaction, bureaucratic procedure and holdup.
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Why is red tape called red tape?

Most people complain about the red tape they deal with when they're registering a car or buying a house, working with an impersonal business or government branch. The term comes from the actual red tape that was used to bind documents in colonial America and in Great Britain.
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English Idioms - Red Tape



What does the phrase red tape refer to quizlet?

What does the phrase red tape refer to? Bureaucratic decisions are democratic decisions. What statements are true regarding bureaucracies? A bureaucracy is an ideal design for routine tasks.
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What is red tape corruption?

Red tape is the set of rules and regulations that private agents are obliged to comply with in order to engage in entrepreneurial activity. Corruption is the payment of bribes to public officials for the purpose of circumventing red tape.
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How do you stop red tape?

5 Ways to Eliminate the Red Tape
  1. Budget for Emergencies. Unexpected emergencies are a given, and unanticipated expenses are common in business. ...
  2. Empower Employees. Employees are on the front-line and know what needs to be done more often than management. ...
  3. Set Spending Limits. ...
  4. Training. ...
  5. Coach and Mentor.
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What is the difference between red tape and bureaucracy?

Bureaucracy means you like it, or at least tolerate it. Red tape means you dislike it.
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What is blue tape mean?

More recently the term “blue tape” has been used to describe rules imposed not by Government regulation, but by one business on another. The HSE report “Understanding the impact of business to business health and safety 'rules'” (2019) explored the extent and impact of health and safety blue tape on UK businesses.
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What does black Tape mean?

black bands

The British Medical Journal's term for the “black tape” placed across the eyes in photographs of a patient with a particular finding of medical interest so as to conceal their identity.
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What does red tape mean in construction?

Red Danger Tape Indicates:

There is a safety and health concern of an immediate or high potential degree in the area. Some of these immediate dangers could include overhead loads, suspended loads, work being performed overhead, high noise exposure, open holes, fall protection required, confined space entry and more.
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What are the red tape challenges?

The Red Tape Challenge (RTC) was run by the UK government between 2011 and 2014. It was designed to crowdsource the views from businesses, organisations and the public on which regulations should be improved, kept or scrapped.
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Why is red tape Good?

Pros and Cons of Red Tape

Jennifer said there is good and bad red tape. Bad red tape is when there is too much bureaucratic process that bogs things down, while good red tape offers checks and balances, as well as a second set of eyes to make sure everything has been done properly.
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What is red tape in the government?

Definition of red tape

: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction bureaucratic red tape … enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.—
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Is red tape one word or two?

Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making.
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What is red tape brand?

Red Tape– The flagship brand of Mirza International Limited, was launched in the year 1996. The brand has today become synonymous with hi–fashion & lifestyle, owing to its unmatched quality, skilled craftsmanship and trendy products.
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What is the role of red tape in bureaucracy?

Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant and hinders or prevents action or decision-making. Examples include filling out paperwork, obtaining licenses, having multiple people or committees approve a decision and various low-level rules.
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What is the red tape Soviet Union?

Any envelope with a letter to or from a foreign embassy was given not just a normal postmark but one in red, marked, in Russian, International Post Office. That mark sent it to the KGB to be skillfully opened, read, and resealed.
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What are at least two examples of red tape in Canada?

“The City of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for its brutal lack of customer service to High Street West businesses affected by a painful and extremely delayed water main replacement.” “The City of Toronto, for its new business licensing process, which can only be completed on paper, in person, at one location.”
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Where is bureaucracy used today?

Examples of bureaucracies can be found everywhere. State departments of motor vehicles, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), financial lending organizations like savings and loans, and insurance companies are all bureaucracies that many people deal with regularly.
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What is an example of the iron triangle problem?

An example of such an iron triangle would be the American Association for Retired People (AARP), the House Subcommittee on Aging, and the Social Security Administration all working together to set government policy on Social Security.
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