Catch-22

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Catch-22

A paradoxical situation that has no happy ending. A popular movie with Alan Arkin in 1970, Catch-22 came from Joseph Heller's 1961 comical, yet gruesome, best-selling book about pilots in a fictitious World War II setting. The paradox was that no sane pilot would be crazy enough to want to continue flying dangerous missions. The only way a pilot would be grounded is if he were truly crazy, but if he asked to be grounded, he was then considered sane and would not be grounded.

A Catch-22 with software would be trying to install a new version of the OS that conflicts with the current display driver. Although a new version of the display driver may be available for the new version of the OS, the current display driver does not allow the new OS to be installed. Sometimes, a Catch-22 is used synonymously with a "chicken-egg" dilemma (which comes first?), but it is more accurately a conundrum without a winning solution.

Catch-22

concerned with the frustration of red-tape mechanisms. [Am. Lit.: Catch-22]

See: Bureaucracy

Catch-22

Air Force captain’s appeal to be grounded for insanity not granted because desire to avoid combat proves sanity. [Am. Lit.: Joseph Heller Catch-22]

See: Frustration

Catch-22

pleading insanity to leave army indicates sanity. [Am. Lit.: Catch-22]

See: Irony

Catch-22

claim of insanity to be relieved of military duty proves sanity. [Am. Lit.: Joseph Heller Catch-22]

See: Paradox

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References in periodicals archive ?

George Clooney, left, and Hugh Laurie, right, add to the stellar cast of Catch 22

Catch of the day

Catch 22, based on the classic satire penned by Joseph Heller, features a realistic portrayal of the male-dominated US Air Force in World War II.

Clooney says no let-up in #MeToo fight

Catch 22 -- is that particular clause that defines the fitness of the military personnel to be employed in flying mission.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

"I must thank everyone involved who was involved and especially Catch 22. It was wonderful to see young people taking such pride in the borough and their commitment to helping our estate clean-up teams.

Community clean-up is led by local teenagers

Youth inclusion project Catch 22 works with young people aged between nine and 17, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, from Llanrumney, St Mellons, Trowbridge, Rumney, Ely and Caerau.

Donation brings wheel-y good news for youngsters; Businessman's generosity gets group's minibus back on the road

Shundra McAllister, Deuce's sister, directs the Catch 22 Foundation, which now focuses on their home state.

Quite a catch

Joyce Moseley, chief executive of Catch 22, said: "National Tackling Drugs week is a great opportunity for Positive Futures to highlight the great work being done on the ground to tackle drug misuse.'' Visit www.catch-22.org.uk

Youth activities staged

In an audiobook, all this can cause more than a little initial confusion, but for those who persevere, this novel is to the Civil War era what Catch 22 is to WW II.

Wright, Stephen. The amalgamation polka

The court noted that adoption of such a theory would subject prisoners to a "Catch 22" by establishing a rule that, by virtue of an inmate having fulfilled the requirements necessary to pursue a cause of action in federal court, he would be precluded from prosecuting the very claim he was forced to exhaust.

Rhodes v. Robinson

So for accountants to think that they will wait to get knowledgeable about internal financial reporting standards until the commission accepts them presents a Catch 22 situation.

In the public interest, part two: second in a series of interviews with the SEC's Office of the Chief Accountant

The paper companies seem satisfied to allow the supplier side do the vast amount of technical work, but suppliers also feel the economic crunch and must restrict hiring, which is a Catch 22. For the paper companies, there is the question of where is middle management going to come from if there are too few new people from which to choose.

Dealing with paper industry challenges

"Catch 22" refers to a catch in the military regulations that prevents the bombardiers from ever being grounded and sent home.