Know your English: What is the origin of “red tape”? (with additional grammar/language questions)
A The Hindu language column explains the origin of “red tape” and revises common English usage points, including “battle” versus “war,” “its” versus “it’s,” and “xenophobia.”
A The Hindu language column discusses the origin of “red tape” and clarifies several common English usage questions. The main exam value lies in vocabulary precision and in the governance idea that excessive procedure can slow administration.
“Red tape” means excessive bureaucratic procedure. The idiom is linked to a 17th-century English practice in which officials tied documents with red ribbons. The expression later became associated with official sluggishness and rigid rule-following.
