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What's the origin of the phrase 'Red tape'? Legal and official documents have been bound with red tape since the 17th century and continue to be so. The first reference I can find to this practice is the 1696-1715 Maryland Laws: “The Map upon the Backside thereof sealed with his Excellency’s Seal at Arms on a Red Cross with Red Tape.”
It is generally believed that the term originated with the Spanish administration of Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, in the early 16th century, who started to use red tape in an effort to modernize the administration that was running his vast empire.
Regardless of its exact origins, “red tape” became a popular term in the 19th century as governments around the world began to expand their bureaucracies and create more complex regulations. The phrase was often used by critics who felt that excessive bureaucracy was hindering progress and stifling innovation.
This idiom is said to have originated with King Charles V of Spain in the 16 th century. He started to bind his ‘must do’ paperwork with red tape to separate them from the more mundane documents that were tied up with plain string. This was supposedly to accelerate his paperwork through the correct channels of officialdom.
Oct 7, 2022 · 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.
How did the idiom “ Red tape ” originate? Browse more Idioms. Raining cats and dogs. Red letter day. Red tape. Reduplication. Relaxation. About the Author. Gary Martin. Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website.
May 26, 2021 · It’s possible that red tape as a euphemism for complicated bureaucratic processes did become more common in the U.S. after the Civil War, when so many citizens experienced said processes...
Origin of: Red tape. Red tape means unnecessary or excessive bureaucracy and dates in this figurative sense from the early 19th century. It derives from the 17th century practice of tying accounting and legal documents with red tape or ribbon.
Jun 1, 2021 · red tape. (n.) "official routine or formula," especially "excessive bureaucratic rigmarole," 1736, in reference to the red tape formerly used in Great Britain (and the American colonies) for binding up legal and other official documents, which is mentioned from 1690s. also from 1736.
Jul 7, 2016 · Andrew Rabin, a professor of English at the University of Louisville, says the term "red tape" comes from the filing practices of the 16th century. Picture this: an archive with miles and miles of documents from all of Europe.
