🗓️ Idiom: Red Tape (n)
💬 Meaning
- Rules and procedures that are complicated and cause delays.
- Bureaucratic obstacles that slow down progress.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The project was delayed due to all the red tape involved in getting permits.
- She gave up on opening her shop because of the endless red tape.
- We need a faster process that cuts through the red tape.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase comes from the 1500s, when governments used red ribbon to tie official papers. Over time, “red tape” became a symbol of slow and complicated administrative processes.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The project was delayed for months due to government __________.
Answer
red tape
2. Choose the correct meaning of “red tape”:
A) Expensive supplies
B) Unnecessary rules and paperwork
C) A warning sign in business
Answer
B) Unnecessary rules and paperwork
3. Change the sentence using “Red Tape”:
“We couldn’t launch the product on time because there were too many official procedures.”
Answer
We couldn’t launch the product on time because of red tape.
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