Catch-22
A no-win situation where contradictory rules make it impossible to escape. Any attempt to resolve the dilemma is blocked by the very logic meant to govern it — proving you qualify for relief simultaneously disqualifies you from receiving it.
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Origin
Joseph Heller invented the term for his 1961 satirical novel Catch-22, drawing on his own experience flying 60 bombing missions in World War II. The title was originally Catch-18, but was changed just before publication to avoid confusion with Leon Uris's Mila 18. The phrase entered common English almost immediately.
Updated February 22, 2026