Etymology:
The word "gridlock" is a portmanteau of "grid," referring to a structured network or framework, and "lock," denoting an unyielding state.
Meaning:
Gridlock refers to a situation where multiple elements or systems are mutually dependent and their activities become interlocked, resulting in a standstill or paralysis. It typically applies to transportation systems, such as traffic congestion, or to administrative or computational processes where dependencies create a blocking or cascading effect.
Origin:
The term "gridlock" was coined in the 1960s by Fred Hoyle, a British astronomer and science fiction writer. He used it to describe the hypothetical state of the universe in which everything becomes so gravitationally connected that no movement is possible.
However, the more common usage of "gridlock" to refer to traffic congestion originated in the late 1960s in New York City. The term was attributed to Herman Schwartz, a senior planner for the city's Urban Planning Division. Schwartz used the word to describe the severe traffic congestion caused by street closures and construction projects, which created a cascading effect that paralyzed multiple intersections and streets.
From its initial usage in relation to traffic, "gridlock" has expanded to encompass various situations where dependencies or interconnections lead to stagnation or paralysis. It is now widely used in business, economics, and other contexts to describe situations where progress is hindered by a lack of coordination or an overwhelming number of interdependencies.
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