Chapter Red Tape to Reekie of R by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Red Tape to Reekie

Red Tape Official formality; so called because lawyers and government officials tie their papers together with red tape. Charles Dickens introduced the phrase.

“There is a good deal of red tape at Scotland Yard, as anyone may find to his cost who has any business to transact there.”- W. Terrell: Lady Delmar, bk. iii. 2.

Red Tape Dressing Edward VI.

“First a shirt was taken up by the Chief Equerry-in-Waiting,
who passed it to the First Lord of the Buck- hounds,
who passed it to the Second Gentleman of the Bedchamber,
who passed it to the Head Ranger of Windsor Forest,
who passed it to the Third Groom of the Stole,
who passed it to the Chancellor Royal of the Duchy of Lancashire,
who passed it to the Master of the Wardrobe,
who passed it to Norroy King- of-Arms,
who passed it to the Constable of the Tower,
who passed it to the Chief Steward of the Household,
who passed it to the Hereditary Grand Diaperer,
who passed it to the Lord High Admiral of England,
who passed it to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
who passed it to the First Lord of the Bedchamber,
who put it on the young king.”
Mark Twain: The Prince and the Pauper, p. 143.

Red Tapism The following is from Truth, Feb. 10th, 1887, p. 207:- There was an escape of gas at Cambridge Barracks, and this is the way of proceeding: The escape was discovered by a private, who reported it to his corporal; the corporal reported it to the colour-sergeant, and the colour-sergeant to the quartermaster-sergeant. The quartermaster- sergeant had to report it to the quartermaster, and the quartermaster to the colonel commanding the regiment. The colonel had to report it to the commissariat officer in charge of the barracks, and the commissariat officer to the barrack-sergeant, who had to report it to the divisional officer of engineers. This officer had to report it to the district officer of engineers, and he to the clerk of works, Royal Engineers, who sends for a gasman to see if there is an escape, and report back again. While the reporting is going on the barracks are burnt down.

Red Tincture That preparation which the alchemists thought would convert any baser metal into gold. It is sometimes called the Philosopher's Stone, the Great Elixir, and the Great Magisterium. (See White Tincture .)

Redan' The simplest of fieldworks, and very quickly constructed. It consists simply of two faces and an angle formed thus L, the angle being towards the object of attack. A corruption of redens. (Latin.)

Redder (The). The adviser, the person who redes or interferes. Thus the proverb, “The redder gets aye the warst lick of the fray.”

“Those that in quarrels interpose
Must wipe themselves a bloody nose.”

Redding-straik (A). A blow received by a peacemaker, who interferes between two combatants to red or separate them; proverbially, the severest blow a man can receive.

“Said I not to ye, `Make not, meddle not;' beware of the redding-straik?”- Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering, chap. xxvii.

Redgauntlet The sobriquet of Fitz-Aldin, given him from the great slaughter which he made of the Southron, and his reluctance to admit them to quarter. The sobriquet was adopted by him as a surname, and transmitted to his posterity. A novel by Sir W. Scott. (See chap. viii.)

Redgauntlet A novel told in a series of letters by Sir Walter Scott. Sir Edward Hugh Redgauntlet, a Jacobite conspirator in favour of the Young Pretender, Charles Edward, is the hero. When George III. was crowned he persuaded his niece, Lilias Redgauntlet, to pick up the glove thrown down by the king's champion. The plot ripened, but when the prince positively refused to dismiss his mistress, Miss Walkinshaw- a sine quâ non with the conspirators- the whole enterprise was given up. General Campbell arrived with the military, the prince left Scotland, Redgauntlet, who embarked with him, became a prior abroad, and Lilias, his niece, married her brother's friend, Allan Fairford, a young advocate.
   Redgauntlet (Sir Aberick). An ancestor of the family so called.
   Sir Edward. Son of Sir Aberick, killed by his father's horse.
   Sir Robert. An old Tory in Wandering Willie's Tale. He has a favourite monkey called “Major Weir.” Sir John, son and successor of Sir Robert. Sir Redwald, son of Sir John.
   Sir Henry Darsie. Son of Sir Redwald. Lady Henry Darsie, wife of Sir Henry Darsie. Sir Arthur Darsie alias Darsie Latimer, son of Sir Henry and the above lady. Miss Lilias alias Greenmantle, sister of Sir Arthur; she marries Allan Fairford.
   Sir Edward