Jumping through red tape

A couple was watching the Tulsa King and noted a character released from prison griping about the necessary paperwork to acquire a bank account. One commented, “yeah, it’s frustrating jumping through red tape all the time”. This is a nice mix of “jump through hoops” (to complete or face many challenges to achieve something) and “red tape” (bureaucratic rules that are overly strict or tedious).  Both expressions refer to a series of challenges or events, contributing to the confusion.  A big thanks to Patti Palladino for uttering this nice conflation and Skip Kennedy for sending it in!