The meaning comes from the days when wearing a cap or hat was considered part of a man’s wardrobe when out of the house.

To show respect, you would take your hat off and hold it in your hand, especially when the person you are talking to is more senior in rank or holds a position of respect (the bank manager).

White House turns down Democrats' offer to meet halfway with US$2 trillion COVID-19 plan

White House officials trying to broker a deal on new coronavirus legislation will advise President Donald Trump to act on his own to deliver relief to Americans suffering from the pandemic, after talks with top Democrats in Congress broke down on Friday.

[CNA | LINK]

When used, it means:

• [a colleague who writes a report] She write a thorough and detail report and misses no details.
  
• [a famous person who throws a party] Everything is done to make it the best possible
• [a teacher] she prepares everything for her class before the event, anticipates what may go wrong and plans for this, and is organised with note taking and report writing.

However, saying I told you can make you appear arrogant, so tone is important.

One door closes, another opens at Nelson brewery  

The beer will continue to pour at McCashin’s Stoke brewery with a new taproom replacing the existing kitchen and bar.

After five years of trading, McCashin’s Brewery Kitchen and Bar will be closing its doors this Saturday.
The operation has run as a separate entity from the brewery since 2015 when Lincoln Womersley and Brigitta Young took over the former café space in the historic Rochdale Cider building on Main Rd Stoke.
Young now runs the enterprise with business partner Tony Cropp.

A post on the kitchen and bar’s Facebook page said the closure was not due to Covid-19 downturn but as a result of its lease being unexpectedly terminated by the brewery.

[Stuff | LINK]

A friend is thinking about buying a new house with extra space for a home office. However, they are worried about finding the extra money.

You say increase the mortgage, to which they reply: It’s easier said than done!

For example:

• You suggest a change of venue for the annual conference but this is interpreted as disapproval or dislike.
  

However, by saying:

• No, I’m not looking for trouble! I was just thinking aloud about changing the venue as we’ve been going there for a number of years and the service isn’t as good as it was.

The expression softens the comment and indicates it was not aggressive or confrontational; merely a personal observation.

This can be used in situations ranging from volunteering for a charity to supporting someone in their professional field.

The key is that the act is done because the person wants to do it and not for payment

However, it’s not only used to talk about official bureaucracy but also when we feel rules and systems are slow to respond. This can be especially true when many people are involved in what seems to be a simple task or decision.

Red tape takes its meaning from the early 18th century: so named because of the red or pink tape used to bind official documents.

The expression is fixed and well known, so frequently the comment made to the person who is criticising could be people in glass houses or You know what they say about people who live in glass houses? or even Glass houses come to mind.

The reference is clear but without the need to say the entire expression.

 Why Lewisham’s plans for Millwall’s Den really take the biscuit
[the article bemoans the Labour council’s approved plans for compulsory purchase of the land around the ground which could threaten the football club’s basic operations]  
 
These same qualities of resilience may be needed again after the decision this week by Lewisham’s Labour council to approve plans for compulsory purchase of land around the Den as part of a mass “regeneration” project. Millwall currently rent the land under threat, the loss of which could threaten the club’s basic operations.

They offered to buy it at a higher price. Lewisham chose to go with the developer Renewal, which is ultimately controlled by offshore companies with mysterious owners and whose plan involves shoehorning in 2,400 homes, the huge majority for private sale, as part of Boris Johnson’s ramped-up “New Bermondsey” vision.  
 
References:
[HITC | 09.09.16 | LINK]
[The Guardian | 09.06.16 | LINK]

It’s frequently used to express relief over something which has been stressful, difficult or unpleasant has now finished and is now in the past.
 
Is the Iran nuclear deal dead and buried?  
 
In theory, the Iran nuclear deal is still in existence. But only just.
 
The country has announced that it will no longer be bound by any of its restrictions in terms of the numbers or type of centrifuges that can be operated or the level of enrichment of uranium that it can pursue.
 
[BBC | 06.01.20 | LINK]

Vegetable prices hit the roof as incessant rains destroy crops   
 
Hyderabad: Heavy rains that battered Telangana consistently for the last two weeks has damaged vegetable crops in several districts and resulted in sharp increase in the prices of tomatoes, lady finger, brinjal, carrot, beans etc.  
 
[The Times of India 25.08.20 | LINK]