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After consulting our search results for "red tape origin," we headed straight to Word for the Wise, Merriam-Webster's ever-helpful etymology resource. The colorful term used to refer to the seemingly endless parade of paperwork that accompanies many official matters got its start back in jolly old England. It seems that thick legal documents were bound or tied with (what else?) red cloth tape. So when someone spoke of cutting through the red tape, they meant it in a very literal sense. By the 19th century, however, the term had become much more figurative in meaning and referred
to "any official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction." Governments are notorious for excessive red tape. While searching the Web for info on the term, we found at least three official sites aimed at reducing the amount of sticky bureaucracy in other countries.
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