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It's deliberately so and used as an in group marker.

There are also complex unwritten rules governing dress, speech and general manors that serve the same purpose.

There are some job interviews you better not turn up to wearing the wrong colour shoes or shirt.

Personally, I blame the Normans.

> It's deliberately so [confusing]

This is not true. Public schools pre-date modern state schools and what made them "public", by the original definition, was that they were open to any child - provided that their parents could afford the fees.

Other private schools at the time were open only to the children of parents who met certain criteria, and hence were not "public".

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