Would you like to refer to something that is going to take a lot of effort, going to get tied up in bureaucracy or mean a considerable amount of tedious paperwork? The phrase 'red tape' comes up often in popular culture and could be used to mean all three things. This post unpacks the meaning, use and origin of the phrase.
Meaning
The phrase 'red tape' is a sentence that is used to imply that something is going to take a lot of effort, that it might take a lot of bureaucracy – or that it's just going to take a lot of paperwork.
The implication is that the issue which is being discussed 'is going to get tied up in red tape' as the longer version of the saying sometimes says.
The phrase 'red tape' can be used as part of a sentence, but can also be used on its own (or as a hashtag on social media) that implies the meaning.
The phrase 'red tape' is figurative, and refers to an unnecessary amount of effort or paperwork that it is going to take to resolve something.
Someone would not use the expression in the plural form, the use 'red tape' will suffice even if the speaker means several issues at once.
Sometimes the expression 'red tape' can be used with humorous implications if this is shown through the rest of what has been said.
The phrase 'red tape' should not be confused with the phrase 'red carpet' which can imply that something is luxurious or flashy.
Example Usage
“Oh, goddamnit. My uncle got hit by a bus this morning, and now I'm going to be late for work. That's going to be a whole lot of red tape for everyone in the family.”
“If you wanted to keep track of your music collection in the eighties, you had to write everything down on a list yourself. It was a whole lot of red tape to keep track of your tapes.”
“We used to be able to steal onions at the dollar store all the time. These days you'll get spotted on security cameras, and that's a whole lot of red tape to deal with.”
“If you believe in a lot of red tape, you should go work for government.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the phrase 'red tape' is said to come from an ancient filing process that was used around the 1700s: instead of modern library catalogs, important books were bound in red tape – and anyone who moved through the library would see.red tape everywhere.
When something is said to be 'tied up in red tape' it usually means that something is going to take a lot of paperwork.
Even though most people who use the expression do not remember the origin of the phrase, the saying 'red tape' still has the same meaning when it is used today.
Other online language resources dispute the common claim, and instead attribute it to English writers in the more modern 1800s.
Phrases Similar to Red Tape
- Bureaucracy
Phrases Opposite to Red Tape
- Easy peasy lemon squeezy
What is the Correct Saying?
- [tied up in] red tape
- [it's all] red tape
Ways People May Say Red Tape Incorrectly
There are several ways to use the phrase 'red tape' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the phrase.
Someone would not say 'red tapes' to use the phrase, as there is no need for the plural form and the expression would lose its validity.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Red Tape
The correct way to use the phrase 'red tape' is to use the phrase to imply that something is going to take a lot of work, administrative effort, paperwork or bureaucracy to achieve.
Someone can use the phrase to imply that something is 'wrapped up' or 'tied up' in red tape.