Both Uses of
red tape
in
David Copperfield
- Opposite to the tall old chimney-piece were two portraits: one of a gentleman with grey hair (though not by any means an old man) and black eyebrows, who was looking over some papers tied together with red tape; the other, of a lady, with a very placid and sweet expression of face, who was looking at me.†
Chpt 13-15 *
- Britannia, that unfortunate female, is always before me, like a trussed fowl: skewered through and through with office-pens, and bound hand and foot with red tape.†
Chpt 43-45
Definition:
-
(red tape) time-consuming bureaucratic procedures -- especially those that seem needless