a chicken-and-egg problem

a chicken and egg situation/problem

A situation in which it is unknown what happened, or what needs to happen, first. You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience. It's a chicken and egg situation.

See also: and, chicken, egg, problem, situation

a chicken-and-egg problem

an unresolved question as to which of two things caused the other.

This expression comes from the traditional riddle: ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’

See also: problem

References in periodicals archive ?

(Troen and Boles wrestle with this dilemma partly by proposing intermediate ways to infuse existing schools with some of the characteristics of Millennium Schools.) Moreover, there is a chicken-and-egg problem. We need Millennium Schools to attract more good teachers, but plenty of good teachers are a prerequisite for having many successful Millennium Schools.

Bungle in the jungle

Idioms browser ?

▲
a cat has nine lives
a cat in gloves catches no mice
a cat may look at a king
a cat nap
a cat on a hot tin roof
a Catch 22
a catch to (something)
a catch to it
a catch-22 situation
a cattle market
a chain is no stronger than its weakest link
a chain is only as strong as its weakest link
a chance in a million
a change in (one's) stripes
a change is as good as a rest
a change of heart
a change of pace
a change of scene
a change of scenery
a change of tack
a chapter of accidents
a cheap shot
a cheap skate
a chicken and egg situation/problem
a chicken in every pot
a chicken-and-egg problem
a chicken-and-egg situation
a chill pill
a chill runs/goes down (one's) spine
a chill runs/goes down somebody's spine
a chink in somebody's armour
a chink in someone's armour
a chip off the old block
a chip on (one's) shoulder
a chip on your shoulder
a chunk of change
a cigarette with no name
a civil question deserves a civil answer
a claim to fame
a class act
a clean bill of health
a clean break
a clean sheet
a clean sheet/slate
a close call
a close chewer and a tight spitter
a close shave
a close shave/call
a close thing
a close/near thing
a closed book
▼

Full browser ?

▲
a chat-bot
a chatbot
a cheap shot
a cheap skate
a cheap-skate
a cheapie
a cheapskate
A Cheater's Karma
a check up
a check-up
a checkup
a cheese eater
a cheese head
a cheese-eater
a cheese-head
a cheesehead
a cheezer
a chef d'oeuvre
A Cherry on Top
A Cherry on Top
a Cheshire cat
A cheval
à cheval
a chick flick
a chick magnet
a chick-flick
a chicken and egg problem
a chicken and egg situation
a chicken and egg situation/problem
a chicken in every pot
a chicken-and-egg problem
a chicken-and-egg situation
a chief cook and bottle washer
A Child Among Us
A Child for All
A child's ticket
a chill goes down somebody's spine
a chill goes down spine
a chill goes down your spine
a chill pill
a chill runs down somebody's spine
a chill runs down spine
a chill runs down your spine
a chill runs/goes down (one's) spine
a chill runs/goes down somebody's spine
a chill runs/goes down spine
a chill went down my spine
a chill went down your spine
a chin up
a chin-up
a Chinese fire drill
A Chinese Ghost Story
a chink in armor
a chink in armor
a chink in armor
a chink in armour
a chink in armour
a chink in armour
a chink in one's armor
a chink in somebody's armour
a chink in someone's armour
▼

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close