red tape

Etymology
Attested since 1736; thought to allude to the former practice of binding government documents in red-coloured tape.

Noun

 * 1) The binding tape once used for holding important documents together.
 * 2)  Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.
 * 1)  Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.

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.

Translations

 * Afrikaans: rompslomp
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin:, 官僚習氣, 官僚習氣
 * Czech:
 * Danish:
 * Dutch: paarse krokodil
 * Finnish:
 * French: impôt papier,
 * German:
 * Hindi: लालफ़ीता
 * Japanese:, レッドテープ, お役所さんの仕事
 * Persian:
 * Polish: biuralizm,, biurokratyzm
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian:, ,
 * Slovak:
 * Spanish:, , cinta roja, expedienteo, papelerío, , , ,
 * Swedish: