--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Little other than a red tape…" description: "\"Little other than a red tape Talking-machine, and unhappy Bag of Parliamentary Eloquence.\" — Thomas Carlyle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/thomas-carlyle-207_bags_little-other-than-a-red-tape-talking-mac_2219153.png" --- # Little other than a red tape Talking-machine, and unhappy… ![“Little other than a red tape Talking-machine, and unhappy Bag of Parliamentary Eloquence.” quote by Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/thomas-carlyle-207_bags_little-other-than-a-red-tape-talking-mac_2219153.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/thomas-carlyle-207_bags_little-other-than-a-red-tape-talking-mac_2219153.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/thomas-carlyle-207_bags_little-other-than-a-red-tape-talking-mac_2219153.png) > “Little other than a red tape Talking-machine, and unhappy Bag of Parliamentary Eloquence.” [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement critiques bureaucratic language, describing it as a noisy, ineffective machine that hides true meaning behind pompous speech. **In simple terms:** Bureaucracy uses fancy words but lacks substance. Key Takeaway Beware of empty rhetoric in institutions. Themes bureaucracy communication politics Mood skeptical ironic Type satirical critical When to use this quote - government - corporate meetings - legal documents Key Concepts satire critique Questions to Reflect On - When have you encountered “talking‑machine” language? - How does this affect decision making? A Different Perspective It may overgeneralize all formal speech. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bag Parliamentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bag-parliamentary-4946080/) [Bags](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bags/) [Eloquence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eloquence/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Machine Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machine-unhappy-4946081/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Parliamentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliamentary/) [Parliamentary Eloquence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliamentary-eloquence-4946079/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Red tape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-tape/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Tape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tape/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [God gave you that gifted tongue of yours, and set it between your teeth, to make known your true meaning to us, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/god-gave-you-that-gifted-tongue-of-yours-and-set-it-between-your/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [We've got a very poor record on unnecessary red tape; extra cost to business; people being asked to do things they don't need to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grayling/we-ve-got-a-very-poor-record-on-unnecessary-red-tape-extra-cost-to/) [Chris Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grayling/) > [“John was still making comments regarding violent things that he shouldn't, but I hoped he was just being a big mouth. 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Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-howard/) > [There's nothing wrong with the Democratic Party that talks more about - and more loudly about - jobs, and cutting red tape, and bureaucracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-that-talks-more-about/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) ## More by Thomas Carlyle > [O thou that pinest in the imprisonment of the Actual, and criest bitterly to the gods for a kingdom wherein to rule and create,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/o-thou-that-pinest-in-the-imprisonment-of-the-actual-and-criest/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Whose school-hours are all the days and nights of our existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/whose-school-hours-are-all-the-days-and-nights-of-our-existence/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The sincere alone can recognize sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-sincere-alone-can-recognize-sincerity/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The glory of a workman, still more of a master workman, that he does his work well, ought to be his most precious possession;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-glory-of-a-workman-still-more-of-a-master-workman-that-he-does/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [All human things do require to have an ideal in them; to have some soul in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/all-human-things-do-require-to-have-an-ideal-in-them-to-have-some/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Insurrection, never so necessary, is a most sad necessity; and governors who wait for that to instruct them are surely getting into the fatalest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/insurrection-never-so-necessary-is-a-most-sad-necessity-and-governors/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [What is philosophy but a continual battle against custom?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/what-is-philosophy-but-a-continual-battle-against-custom/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Let Time and Chance combine, combine! Let Time and Chance combine! 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