death by a thousand paper cuts

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Blend of death by a thousand cuts +‎ paper cut. The "thousand cuts" of the original phrase are now inflicted by paper, a metonym for bureaucracy.

Noun

death by a thousand paper cuts

  1. (idiomatic) An ultimate negative outcome, such as the failure of a project, brought about by an excessive number of bureaucratic hurdles.

See also

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