Where did the phrase "red-tape" come from?
600144
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-tape\nThe origins of the term are obscure, but it alludes to the 17th and 18th century English practice of binding documents and official papers with red tape and were popularized in the writings of Thomas Carlyle protesting against official inertia. Other than the British government documents some in the Vatican were also traditionally bound in red cloth tape.\n\nAnother origin tale circulated is that all American Civil War veterans' records were bound in red tape, and the difficulty in accessing them led to the current use of the term, but there is evidence that the term was in use in its modern sense sometime before this.\n\nAlthough grief over red tape is often seen as a right-wing conviction, Karl Marx wrote about the phenomenon of changing from one person in control of a complete task, to having multiple people each with specialties in specific tasks. He saw this occurring as society shifts from a Seigneurial system to a capitalist system. Although Marx drew different conclusions about this trend, it is often this abstraction among workers that is the source of red tape. This interpretation would explain why it is often perceived that the presence of red tape is increasing.
960487
The phrase Catch-22 came from the book of the same name by Joseph Heller.  It did not exist before then.  A catch-22 is basically a no-win situation.\n\nIf you need more info, you can plow through Wikipedia.\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22
129209
The most famous line of this type is the direct communications line between the Russian and American administrations.  It has been called "the hot line" and the "red telephone".   The original stated purpose of the line was to prevent a misunderstanding from triggering a nuclear war.   It was intially established in 1963 as a radiotelegraph line.  Its first actual use was during the 1967 Six-Day Arab Israeli war. In the early 1970s, the telegraph was replaced with an actual phone line, which was also supplemented by satellite communications systems and high speed fax.  The most recent use of the line has been to hammer out joint positions on the war in Iraq.\n\nThe lline itself is encrypted to prevent hacking, and besides the primary voice channel there are two satellite channels carried over US and Russian satellites.
679671
i believe the expression was 1st used by a writer in a novel, one of the spy writers,(le Carre or Shute or someone of that genre) but i can't think of his name at the moment.\n\nAnd i belive it is both because relations between East and West became cold after WW2 and also becasue no actually fighting took place, it was more a battle of the minds as opposed to a typical war.
19216
Meaning\n\nTo be caught in the act of commiting a crime. The red hands come from the victim's blood. \n\nOrigin\n\nThis originates in 15th century Scotland. Walter Scott provides the earliest printed version of the phrase in Ivanhoe, where it appears as 'taken red handed'.
1048794
[Q] From Mike Willis: “I’m trying to find out the origin of the phrase, on the QT, meaning off the record or in confidence.”\n\n[A] According to Robert Hendrickson, in The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, the first reference is from a British ballad of 1870, which contained the line “Whatever I tell you is on the QT”. It seems to have been just an abbreviated spelling, using the first and last letters of the word quiet, the mild obfuscation also suggesting a meaning for the expression. The Oxford English Dictionary has a first sighting from 1884: “It will be possible to have one spree on the strict q.t.”. Mr Hendrickson points out that it also occurs in a famous London ditty of 1891, sung by Lottie Collins, which also introduced the famous chorus line “Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay”:\n\n    A sweet Tuxedo girl you see,\n    Queen of swell society,\n    Fond of fun as fun can be,\n    When it's on the strict Q.T.
556787
I'm sure that predates history.  \n\nThe word "ramp":\n1778, "slope," from Fr. rampe, back-formation from O.Fr. verb ramper "to climb, creep" (12c.), perhaps from Frank. *rampon "to contract oneself" (cf. O.H.G. rimpfan "to wrinkle," O.E. hrimpan "to fold, wrinkle"
141560
Nobody actually knows where that phrase comes from.  There is an urban legend about where it came from that can be found here: http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm
881022
Comes from "take the cake"\n\nCake: When someone takes the cake they are regarded as having come first in some, often trivial, activity or other. Most authorities consider that this saying goes back to the days of slavery in the USA. The slaves used to hold competitions to see which couple could produce the most elegant walk. The best promenaders won a prize, almost always a cake. The extravagant walk required for this type of competition came to be called a Cakewalk and this gave rise to the old fashioned expression "it's a cakewalk". However the meaning later came to emphasise the trivial nature of the competition and began to imply that the effort needed was minor and of little account. In consequence the modern saying "it's a piece of cake" could well be based on these old customs. \nThere is a much older possible origin, going back to the ancient Greeks. A "cake" in those times was a toasted cereal bound together with honey. It was given to the most vigilant man on night watch. Aristotle is quoted as having written in "The Knights": "if you surpass him in impudence, then we take the cake".
735769
The quote did not in fact come from the man (R.R.) hlmself, but from a Brit satirical TV show (1984-1996) Spitting Image. The program used to lampoon the good & great  (also the not so good) of that era. No one escaped the wrath of the puppets that portrayed the caricatures, even the Queen (Lizzie Windsor) and her husband (Phil the Greek) got a pasting. It was however deemed an "Honour" to be portrayed as a puppet, some even tried to purchase their "doubles".  All good clean typically British sense of humour. But one can almost see RR saying it.
112491
The phrase originally meant to kill all opponents in a battle.\n\nHowever, the phrase is also used commonly to mean to do whatever you can to win. For instance, when you take no prisoners in the business world, you will lie, cheat and steal to get ahead of the competition.
641334
yes, its a good one, have'nt heard it in a while , thanks for bringing it up... but where did it originate.[ sounds like something out of ww2.]
98950
"Who chose cake?"\n\nIt's exact etymology is unclear but this much is certain: the British coined the phrase. \n\n"The first documented appearance of the term is in 1943, in an small book of British military slang, although sources claim it was used in the RAF throughout World War Two, and was originally a Yorkshire dialect term in use at least since 1914."
8
Not sure if this is the origin, but I think it was popularized in the 1989 film "Tango & Cash". After Tango, played by Sylvester Stallone, and Cash, portrayed by Kurt Russell, were thrown into jail and setup in a failed jailbreak attempt, the bad guy Yves Perret (Jack Pallance) locked them in the boiler room with a bunch of felons Tango & Cash had put in jail. Prior to unleashing a can of whoop-ass, their conversation was as follows:\nGabriel Cash: I don't know about you, but I have an aversion to getting F.U.B.A.R...\nRay Tango: What's F.U.B.A.R.?\nGabriel Cash: Fucked-Up Beyond All Recognition.
301635
I do. What was the phrase?
935484
Interesting. Where did you find the quote?
926051
Sounds like a label on "unwanted furniture remover"  :)\n\nThe phrase usually goes "easy on hands, tough on grease"