bound up in red tape

== English == === Etymology === Alluding to the former practice of binding government documents in red-colored tape. First use appears c. 1658 in the publication Public Intelligencer. See cite below. === Pronunciation === === Noun === red tape (uncountable) The binding tape once used for holding important documents together. (metonymic, idiomatic) Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures. Synonyms: administrivia, administrativia, paperwork ==== Usage notes ==== For the figurative sense of bureaucratic procedures, the metaphor is often extended, e.g. cutting [through] red tape, bound up in red tape. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === adepter, pad-tree, pre-date, predate, readept, retaped, tapered