stuck in a stovepipe
- idiom
- Jargon
:
atrapado en un proceso burocrático
- The report became stuck in a stovepipe, holding up the approval process for weeks.
Examples
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New ideas often get stuck in a stovepipe when departments refuse to share information.
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Our funding proposal is currently stuck in a stovepipe somewhere in the administration.
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Don't let your ideas get stuck in a stovepipe.
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Why is our proposal stuck in a stovepipe for so long?
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Our innovative strategy is stuck in a stovepipe, making it difficult for us to implement improvements.
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The decision-making process has become stuck in a stovepipe, leading to frustration among team members.
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Many projects get stuck in a stovepipe due to a lack of communication between departments.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Not able to move because something holds or traps you
21
5.8
To become stuck and unable to make progress because of problems
12
6.3
In a situation where people cannot agree and nothing moves forward
3
6.3
Unable to move forward because of a physical problem or other difficulty
1
6.5
Unable to make progress because opposing sides block each other
Not able to move forward because of a messy, difficult situation
A situation where two sides cannot agree so nothing moves forward
Antonyms
How Blocked
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal parts ('stuck' + 'in' + 'stovepipe') evoke the clear image of being trapped in a narrow pipe, which gives a partial clue to obstruction or delay. However, using 'stovepipe' as a metaphor for a compartmentalized bureaucratic process is a specialized, domain-specific extension that a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words is unlikely to predict without prior exposure.
Etymology
Stuck in a stovepipe comes from the picture of something caught in a narrow stovepipe, like a small chimney, so it cannot move forward. So when a file or idea is sent down a tight, separate channel in an office and cannot reach other teams, it is 'trapped' or 'delayed' by the slow system.