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While I was growing up, my dad always talked about Horatio Hornblower. He was just part of my upbringing. I've never read any of the books though.
When I was in high school, I studied Latin for 5 years and at one stage we were introduced to Horatio. Before I really thought about it, I asked if that were Horatio Hornblower.
Now the teacher (known to be a bit of psychopath) just smiled and said no it wasn't. However, the rest of the class had not heard the name Horatio Hornblower as a child growing up. They thought I'd said something very funny (with the last name being as it is). So I sat in a class with people laughing, out of control. I didn't understand it at all, because the constant use during my upbringing meant that I never questioned the name in my mind, never heard anything out of it other than the name.
Of course, eventually, the psychopath teacher flew into a rage and smashed a clock - he may have hit one of the students, I can't quite remember, and it seemed like I was the only one to which he was not directing his anger.
Incidentally, this was my favourite teacher. His violence was "ignored" by the powers-that-be and most of the students developed an appreciation of him even if occasionally hit. The violence became part of his shtick, his teaching methodology. And it worked.
Anyway - that's hopelessly off-topic, but perhaps even vaguely interesting.
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