Guest  +  48018 Wed, 29 Sep 04 02:57 PM Or is it Catch 21, 22, whatever thing? What does it mean and what is its origin? Thanks! Guest

	Novalee  +  48027 Wed, 29 Sep 04 03:27 PM Hello Guest, It's "Catch 22" and it comes from the title of a novel by Joseph Heller (1961) about the madness of war. You can also find this expression in the phrase "It's a Catch-22 situation" According to Merriam-Webster, it's a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule It gives these aditional meanings: an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation a measure or policy whose effect is the opposite of what was intended a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives Here you can find more information on the novel and its relation to the meaning. Novalee Joined on Fri, Jun 11 2004 Full Member 104

	nona the brit  +  48065 Wed, 29 Sep 04 05:22 PM In the novel, the situation was that of considering whether fighter pilots were fit to fly on dangerous missions. Any pilot who didn't want to fly any more missions was perfectly sane and should therefore fly. Any pilot who did want to fly another mission was insane and therefore not fit to fly. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.