A catalogue of disasters
Meaning
This phrase refers to a long and often depressing list or series of unfortunate events, failures, or serious problems.
Origin
The word "catalogue" has ancient Greek roots, meaning a detailed list or register. When this precise, almost clinical term is paired with the chaotic and devastating "disasters," it creates a stark and often dramatic image. Though the individual words are old, their pairing as a fixed idiom to describe a relentless succession of failures likely gained prominence in the 20th century, used to emphatically summarize an overwhelming string of unfortunate events, often with a tone of exasperated hindsight or wry observation. It’s a way to formally acknowledge the sheer volume of things that have gone terribly wrong.
Examples
- The company's annual report read like a catalogue of disasters, detailing plummeting sales, factory closures, and significant layoffs.
- His attempt to bake a simple cake quickly devolved into a catalogue of disasters, from burnt sugar to a collapsed soufflé.