From http://www.word-detective.com/050404.html

A story (possibly apocryphal, I must note) is told about Sir Christopher Wren, the brilliant architect who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Following the Great Fire of 1666, Wren was asked to rebuild the devastated cathedral, which he did. Viewing the restoration, Queen Anne is said to have proclaimed it “awful, artificial and amusing.” Rather than repairing to his garret to sulk, Wren was thrilled with the royal review, because at that time “awful” meant “awe-inspiring,” “artificial” meant “clever” or “artistic,” and “amusing” meant roughly “riveting” or “astonishing.”

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