Where does “cut red tape” come from?

cut red tape (English) comes from English CUT, from Middle English cutten, from Old Norse kytja, from Proto-Germanic kutjaną — to cut.

cut red tape (English): To reduce bureaucracy

Definitions

  1. To reduce bureaucracy

Ancestry of “cut red tape”, step by step

cut red tape traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English CUT

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCUTTo incise, to cut into the surface of something
2Middle Englishcutten—
3Old Norsekytjahovel, small cottage
4Proto-Germanickutjanąto cut

via English red tape

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishred tapeThe binding tape once used for holding important...
Every word from Proto-Germanic kutjaną →Every word from Old Norse kytja →Every word from Middle English cutten →