english
1
general::
noun ADJ. bureaucratic VERB + RED TAPE cut (through), reduce
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
2
general::
Phrase(s): red tape
Fig. over-strict attention to the wording and details of rules and regulations, especially by government workers. (From the color of the tape used by government departments in England to tie up bundles of documents.) • Because of red tape, Frank took weeks to get a visa. • Red tape prevented Jack’s wife from joining him abroad.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
Official forms and procedures, especially those that are complex and time-consuming. For example, There's so much red tape involved in approving our remodeling that we're tempted to postpone it indefinitely. This expression alludes to the former British custom of tying up official documents with red ribbon. [Early 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms