Meaning of chicken and egg | Babel Free

Definitions

A situation or case in which it is difficult to distinguish cause and effect, having a circular character.

attributive, plural, plural-only, usually

Examples

“From present observation, A and B are needed to make C, and C is needed to make A and B. This chemical cycle has, again, a “chicken and egg” character.”

“Every other show on TV has a guest panel of comics, so why can’t a drag queen tell the latest Apprentice contestant: “You’re fired”? Or a mime taste the cakes on the Bake Off’s An Extra Slice? The answer is usually that we aren’t in the same network because of cabaret’s lack of presence outside of the live space – the classic chicken-and-egg of TV success.”

“When it comes to fighting for democracy and climate change – two of Jamie Raskin’s top priorities – the whole thing feels a bit like a game of chicken and egg to the Democratic congressman.”

CEFR level