student asking question

Why the word "notoriety" which has a negative meaning is used here instead of positive word like "popularity"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The original meaning of the word "notoriety" is simply "famous" or "well-known", which is the meaning of it here. However, the word "notoriety" has developed a negative connotation and is often used to describe someone or something being famous because of something bad. Since ramen did not become famous because of a bad quality it had, the speaker should not have used the word "notoriety" here. She should have simply said "gained popularity" instead.

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