chicken-and-egg problem

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

a situation in which two things each depend on the other, so neither can get started

Why this phrase?

From the ancient riddle 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?' — classic in marketplaces, platforms, and network businesses.

Example

“The marketplace has a chicken-and-egg problem: we need riders to attract drivers and drivers to attract riders.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

chicken or egg problem

Component words

chicken egg

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

don't count your chickens before they hatch Neutral · CEFR B2

used to warn someone not to assume success before it actually happens

egg on your face Informal · CEFR B2

to be embarrassed after being publicly wrong

nest egg Neutral · CEFR B2

a sum of money saved for retirement or the future

walk on eggshells Informal · CEFR B2

to act very carefully to avoid upsetting someone

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs Neutral · CEFR C1

to destroy a reliable source of future profit through greed or short-term thinking

brain power Informal · CEFR B1

intelligence or mental ability used to think and solve problems

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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