Going back to my schooldays over 5 decades ago, I recall being taught in English language classes that to rubber stamp means officially to approve a decision without giving the matter in question any proper scrutiny or thought.
Rubber stamping is indicative of lack of care, attention and is indicative of perfunctoriness.
Furthermore, the definition I was taught all those long years ago is confirmed by Collins Dictionary, which states:
When someone in authority rubber-stamps a decision, plan, or law, they agree to it without thinking about it much.
Nevertheless, there seems to be a general trend nowadays in the press to use this verb routinely for the approval of any decision, whether or not it is preceded by lengthy or indeed any debate at all.
It’s as if to rubber stamp has become synonymous with to approve, which is really isn’t.
One very guilty party in this respect is the Bristol Post, now rebranded as Bristol Live by its Reach plc masters, as per this example from 12th February, where we read:
The plan is due to be rubber stamped at a council meeting on Monday (February 15).
If there’s one thing I know about planning meetings (having attended them. Ed.), it’s that their decisions are never rubber stamped, as councillors serving on planning committees generally tend to consider all applications in the most minute detail. There’s no waving agenda items all through in a couple of minutes, so members can retreat early to the pub or somewhere else more interesting than a council meeting room.
I hope any passing member of the fourth estate will take note of – and act upon – the content of this little post.