Urban Dictionary Merch
Your favorite words on things you can wear, drink from, read, or give to a friend.
The Urban Dictionary Store sells gifts you’ll have to explain.
red tape
red tape by Light Joker April 25, 2007
Related Words
red tape • red taper • the red tape • cut the red tape • Red and yellow tape • RedTape's Law • Red • Red Sox • red bull • Red Wings
Red Tape
red tape is an expression that arose from a technological innovation. The red tape directly refering to the leader tape found in many reel to reel tape recorders and small compact cassetes. As there can be no sound recorded on this portion of the tape it was considered frustrating and often likened to bureaucracy when one had to wait for the end of the red tape to hear what was recorded on the tape Hence The expression red tape and or cut through the red tape or cut to the chase
All that bureaucracy, its just red tape they could proceed so much faster if they wanted. Cut through the red tape
Red Tape by Blood Fire February 22, 2007
red tape
When your boss hates your guts or envies your smarts that he requires you to go through an oppressively time-consuming sequence of procedures before you can get approval to do something, especially when you are filing for a vacation leave.
red tape by ProblemEmployee June 18, 2008
the red tape
the red tape by Nate X. August 14, 2006
More from Urban Dictionary
Surf Dracula Syndrome
A phenomenon in film/television series, most notably streaming series, where the main premise is drawn out to such a point that it takes an entire season or more to get the parts of the series the audience is actually interested in seeing.
For example, if a series is titled "Surf Dracula," a majority of viewers would tune in expecting to see Dracula surfing by the first or second episode. However, the entire first season would instead be tedious padding and backstory before finally ending with Dracula surfing in the last five minutes of the season finale.
For example, if a series is titled "Surf Dracula," a majority of viewers would tune in expecting to see Dracula surfing by the first or second episode. However, the entire first season would instead be tedious padding and backstory before finally ending with Dracula surfing in the last five minutes of the season finale.
I watched "Smallville" on Netflix the other day. Dude, it was ten seasons of filler before he finally flew! Major Surf Dracula Syndrome!
Surf Dracula Syndrome by AOmundson June 18, 2023
Word of the Day on October 24, 2026