"infamous" = celebrated

[Beverly Flanigan]

FDR?  Like, who's FDR?

At 04:44 PM 3/14/2006, you wrote:
>I don't see either the research or the prize described in the article as
>fitting in any way  the customary senses of "infamous."
>
>    As the OED has it, "1. Of ill fame or repute; famed or notorious for
> badness of any kind; notoriously evil, wicked, or vile; held in infamy or
> public disgrace....
>
>   "2. Deserving of infamy; of shameful badness, vileness, or
> abominableness; of a character or quality deserving utter reprobation.
> (One of the strongest adjectives of detestation.)"
>
>   Horror Thought of the Day:  What do today's teens think FDR means when
> they hear him speak of "a day that will live in infamy" ?
>
>   Like, it's gonna be really famous ?
>
>   JL
>
>
>"Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: "Joel S. Berson"
>Subject: Re: "infamous" = celebrated
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>There is "the famous infamous Tom Bell".
>
>Perhaps the intended notion of the reference to the Ig Nobels was
>"infamous science" (a prize for)?
>
>Joel
>
>At 3/14/2006 09:31 AM, you wrote:
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender: American Dialect Society
> >Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> >Subject: Re: "infamous" = celebrated
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> >
> >How, ye of little faith, explain ye this ?:
> >
> > "To mark National Science Week, past winners of the most infamous
> > prize in academia are touring the country to explain, among other
> > things, the logic of making locusts watch repeated highlights of
> > Star Wars and how ostriches fancy humans."
> >
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4801670.stm (Today's BBC News.)
> >
> > No, not the bugs and birds; I mean how do you explain "infamous"
> > if not as a synonym for the now soooooo-boring "famous" ? (Earlier
> > discussion addressed the possibility that this "infamous" might
> > only apply to celebrities or media things.)
> >
> > The transformation appears to be complete. Let the Kaos begin !
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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