Catch 22 etymology

Etymology: "Catch-22" is a phrase invented by the American novelist Joseph Heller in his 1961 novel of the same name.

Meaning:

• A paradoxical situation in which an individual is trapped in a vicious circle of rules or regulations.
• A situation in which a person cannot escape a problem because the rules or conditions that govern it prevent any escape.

Origin:

In Heller's novel, the phrase refers to a regulation in the United States Air Force that states that a pilot who is insane cannot fly combat missions, but requesting to be grounded for insanity is itself evidence of insanity, thus preventing the pilot from escaping combat duty. This paradox creates an impossible situation for the pilot, as he will be labeled insane if he requests to be grounded and sane if he refuses.

The phrase "Catch-22" has since become a widely recognized idiom, referring to any situation that involves a self-contradictory or paradoxical set of rules or conditions.

Catch 22 relate terms

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• dismal

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• overtake

  Etymology Middle English overtaken from Old English ofer tācan to catch up with ov

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  Etymology French émancipation Latin emancipatio e out manus hand

• mantle

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• education

  Etymology The word education originates from the Latin word educere which literally