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View Full Version : Sorry for the infamous vs. famous confusion


Menneisyys
11-22-2007, 12:30 PM
My attention has just been drawn (http://www.modaco.com/content/Smartphone-General-Discussion/261790/BREAKING-NEWS-Infamous-top-Linux-multimedia-player-MPlayer-is-being-ported-to-WM/) to (one of) my mistake(s) in English: during the years, I’ve often used the word “infamous” when I meant “famous”. Yeah, just the opposite meaning. Sorry for the confusion this may have caused – yeah, I know I should double-check everything I post, even to be absolutely sure about the meaning of words I use, as far as English usage is concerned. I only wish I had the time for that – which I severely lack, given that I’m working, experimenting and writing really hard.

I don’t really have the time to re-edit all my articles cross-posted to the Web (several Windows Mobile boards). On my blog, I’ve fixed the most important ones (but still not all). Therefore, if you read an older article on a WM board that uses the word “infamous” – I’ve definitely meant “famous” in all these cases.

Finally, if you spot repeated mistakes / misunderstandings like this (showing I use a word / expression in the totally wrong meaning), feel free to tell me, even in public (you don’t need to bother with private messages if they cause a lot of additional work). Don’t be shy. I certainly don’t get offended by these kinds of reports – after all, my mother tongue isn’t English and problem reports will certainly help in not making the same mistake again.

tufif
11-28-2007, 09:02 PM
This reminds me of the movie the three amigos. They make the same mistake and go to mexico to fight bandits when they think they are putting on a show.

palewar
11-29-2007, 03:39 PM
I have a habit of typing NOT instead of NOW, so sometime when I intend to write 'I am now going to do it', I have typed - 'I am not going to do it'. So unintentionally I sometime sounded rude :-)