a chicken and egg situation
US /ə ˈtʃɪkɪn ænd ɛɡ ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/
UK /ə ˈtʃɪkɪn ænd ɛɡ ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/
1.
a situation in which it is impossible to say which of two things caused the other
:
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It's a real chicken and egg situation: do people get stressed because they're busy, or are they busy because they're stressed?
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The problem of poverty and lack of education is often described as a chicken and egg situation.