"Notorious" does mean "famous", but it carries the added implication of being fa... | Hacker News

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cperciva on July 2, 2018 | parent | context | favorite | on: Ask HN: Who are some unsung heroes in open source ...

"Notorious" does mean "famous", but it carries the added implication of being famous for being bad. I suspect the meaning has changed over time, just like "awful" used to mean "awe-inspiring".

wafflesindeed on July 2, 2018 [–]

I think you mean awesome? Or have I been wrong all along?

cperciva on July 3, 2018 | | [–]

"Awesome" still carries a positive meaning. "Awful" changed from being a synonym for "wonderful" to a synonym for "terrible".

dingaling on July 3, 2018 | | [–]

Ivan the Terrible was originally Ivan the Awful, as in inspiring awe rather than terror.

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