Macquarie Dictionary

Red tape

Mar 21, 2014 | 0 Comments

Prime Minister Abbott’s campaign against red tape prompted Dicko and Sarah at 2UE to wonder what exactly red tape was, who first used it, and did it always have a negative feeling to it.

Red tape was used in the British legal system in the late 1600s to bind up the briefs of private individuals, white tape being used for briefs from the Crown. Read more...

There has been some general discussion of 'the sunbeam' lately, that unused knife or fork or plate that will not trouble the washer-upper but can go straight back into the cupboard. The consensus is that it is an Australianism which the older generation recognise but which the younger generation does not. Read more...

Cate Blanchett has caused a stir

Mar 05, 2014 | 0 Comments

Cate Blanchett has caused a stir, not only by winning her second Oscar but also by swearing in public. Make that CNN live around America and the rest of the world. That’s public. Read more... (language warning)