catch-22

catch-22
{n.}, {informal} From Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22", set in World War II. 1. A regulation or situation that is self-contradictory or that conflicts with another regulation. In Heller's book it referred to the regulation that flight crews must report for duty unless excused for reasons of insanity, but that any one claiming such an excuse must, by definition, be sane. * /Government rules require workers to expose any wrongdoing in their office, but the Catch-22 prevents them from their doing so, because they are not allowed to disclose any information about their work./ 2. A paradoxical situation. * /The Catch-22 of job-hunting was that the factory wanted to hire only workers who had experience making computers but the only way to get the experience was by working at the computer factory./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • catch — [ katʃ ] n. m. • 1919; mot angl., abrév. de catch as catch can « attrape comme tu peux » ♦ Lutte très libre à l origine, codifiée aujourd hui. Prise de catch. Match, rencontre de catch, spectacle de cette lutte. Catch à quatre. Catch féminin. ●… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Catch — Catch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Caught}or {Catched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Catching}. Catched is rarely used.] [OE. cacchen, OF. cachier, dialectic form of chacier to hunt, F. chasser, fr. (assumend) LL. captiare, for L. capture, V. intens. of capere to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • catch — [kach, kech] vt. caught, catching [ME cacchen < Anglo Fr cachier < VL * captiare < L captare, to seize < pp. of capere, to take hold: see HAVE] 1. to seize and hold, as after a chase; capture 2. to seize or take by or as by a trap,… …   English World dictionary

  • Catch 5 — is a popular news music package and image campaign developed for Cleveland, Ohio television station WEWS TV in 1970. Written and composed by then jingle writer Frank Gari, the package was subsequently used on a few other American TV stations. The …   Wikipedia

  • catch — [kætʆ] verb caught PTandPP [kɔːt ǁ kɒːt] [transitive] 1. be caught in something to be in a situation that is difficult to escape from: • The government is caught in the middle of the dispute. • The yen was caught in a downward spiral. 2 …   Financial and business terms

  • catch — ► VERB (past and past part. caught) 1) intercept and hold (something thrown, propelled, or dropped). 2) seize or take hold of. 3) capture after a chase or in a trap, net, etc. 4) be in time to board (a train, bus, etc.) or to see (a person,… …   English terms dictionary

  • Catch-22 — ist der Titel des 1961 erschienenen ersten Romans von Joseph Heller über die Absurdität des Krieges und die Dummheit der Militär Maschinerie. Das anfangs wenig erfolgreiche Buch wurde erst durch Mundpropaganda und Weitergabe und Empfehlung des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Catch — or caught may refer to:In sports: * Catch (baseball), a maneuver in baseball * Caught (cricket), a method of getting out in cricket * Catch or Reception (American football)In music: * Catch (music), a form of round * Catch (band), an English band …   Wikipedia

  • catch — catch; catch·er; catch·ing; catch·man; catch·ment; catch·pole; see·catch; un·catch·able; catch·ing·ly; catch·poll; …   English syllables

  • Catch — Catch, n. 1. Act of seizing; a grasp. Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] 2. That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as, the catch of a gate. [1913 Webster] 3. The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to lay hold of, or of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • catch — s.n. Gen de lupte libere în care sunt permise aproape orice mijloace pentru înfrângerea adversarului. [pr.: checi. – var.: catch can (pr.: checi chén) s.n.] cuv. engl. Trimis de valeriu, 03.03.2003. Sursa: DEX 98  CATCH [pr …   Dicționar Român

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