Red tape - <em>Red tape</em> is an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments, corporations, and other large organizations.
E.g. I would like to open the factory seven days a week, but there's too much red tape.
Thank you Spangola... perfect example... good to see you back at italki.
Thank you Michael... four excellent red examples plus an interesting saying.
I would imagine that you are also familiar with a very similar saying:
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning”
Shakespeare said something similar in his play, Venus and Adonis.
“Like a red morn that ever yet betokened, Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field, Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds, Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”
There also appears a proverb in the Bible:
“When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering.”
Thanks @Richard for a set of red idioms! I must say that all of your colorful idiom lessons are red hot spicy (How about adding "spicy" to this idiom to increase the intensity?)
When I saw the idiom "red eye", I thought it must be related to a person's status. For example, here in my country, if someone sees one with red eyes, then he can assume two things, either 1- The person has not slept well last night, or 2- The person is a sot.
I have another doubt. If I say, "The face of that person turned into a red tomato" Does it sound anything?(Because it just came out of my stupid mind). Let me tell what I think about this-- 1) the person got angry or 2) the person got shy. Which option do you think may suit to "red tomato"?
I'm Sorry @Richard for my weird idiom!
Thank you Su.Ki.
Apparently there are two versions of this idiom - the
British and the American.
The British version uses the word 'rag' while the American
version uses the word 'flag'.
Both versions have the same meanings.
<o:p></o:p>
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like a red flag/rag to a bull
- to be a willfully infuriating or aggravating provocation;<o:p></o:p>
- to be something that incites great anger or annoyance.
An allusion to matadors' practice of waving red flags at a bull during a bullfight, though the color of the flag actually makes no difference to the animal.<o:p></o:p>
- John's gone to gloat about his success over his brother, which is like a red flag to a bull, if you ask me.<o:p></o:p>
- You do realize that bringing your new girlfriend to your ex-wife's house is like a red flag to a bull, right?<o:p></o:p>
