catastroscope

Etymology
. Associated with comedian Jimmy Durante by the 1940s, and the Jennings books of Anthony Buckeridge in the 1950s.

Noun

 * 1)  A catastrophe
 * 2) *1947 October, Cameron Shipp, "America's No. 1 Clown" Coronet vol. 22 no. 10 p. 17
 * Confronted with such a word as "catastrophe," Durante runs amok and produces "catastroscope," which the late Robert Benchley argued was a great improvement. Even such a modest adjective as “exuberant” feels the edge of Durante’s scorn. It comes out “exubilant,” which is not only funny but more exuberant.
 * 1) * 2000, "Catastroscope" Research & Development vol. 42 p. 13
 * The 200th anniversary of the US in 1976 coincided with the sesquimillennial of the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. ... It apparently was what the late comedian Jimmy Durante might have said, " It's a catastroscope!"
 * 1) * 2007, Max Sollitt, Catastroscopes: A Creative and Adventurous Australian Bloke's Battle with Clinical Depression and Anno Domini, (Melbourne : Temple House) ISBN 9781921206023
 * 1) * 2000, "Catastroscope" Research & Development vol. 42 p. 13
 * The 200th anniversary of the US in 1976 coincided with the sesquimillennial of the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. ... It apparently was what the late comedian Jimmy Durante might have said, " It's a catastroscope!"
 * 1) * 2007, Max Sollitt, Catastroscopes: A Creative and Adventurous Australian Bloke's Battle with Clinical Depression and Anno Domini, (Melbourne : Temple House) ISBN 9781921206023
 * The 200th anniversary of the US in 1976 coincided with the sesquimillennial of the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. ... It apparently was what the late comedian Jimmy Durante might have said, " It's a catastroscope!"
 * 1) * 2007, Max Sollitt, Catastroscopes: A Creative and Adventurous Australian Bloke's Battle with Clinical Depression and Anno Domini, (Melbourne : Temple House) ISBN 9781921206023