# Joe Blow, Esquire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390 "2002-05-29T17:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/1 "2002-05-29T17:24:51Z")
As a salesperson, I deal with alot of people’s names. Today I took an order from a guy that had “Esquire” as part of his full name. This got me to pondering two things: 1. What exactly does the “Esquire” addition to a name mean? 2. Are there any “Esquire” people here? If so, do you use the “Esquire” addition when you fill out order forms and the like? Do people tend to pre-judge you when you use that addition? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/2 "2002-05-29T17:28:16Z")
“Esquire” often means that someone is an attorney, at least in the U.S. I’m not sure if it has another meaning in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/3 "2002-05-29T17:29:26Z")
Hi - 1. It means “attorney.” 2. Yes, there are some here, but I am not sure if they add Esq. to their names. ---
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/4 "2002-05-29T18:14:09Z")
Can the “Esquire” addition be passed on to offspring, as in “Bill S. Preston Esquire” from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/5 "2002-05-29T18:14:53Z")
These days, in the U.S., it means you’re an attorney. (Technically, it means you’re entitled to pass the Bar – not the Bar exam, but what was in old courtrooms an actual bar that separated the lawyers from the gallery; in current U.S. practice, to be so entitled, you usually need to graduate from law school, achieve a satisfactory score on the Bar exam, be “of good character” as your state defines it, and have been sworn in to practice by a court.) I don’t use it in daily life, but it is part of my professional name. I introduce myself as “Alex Pascover,” but I sign letters to clients “Alexander Wms. Pascover, Esq.” I wouldn’t really use it on order forms, but if I were a sole practicioner and I were ordering something for my business I would. Also, if I were ordering something like stationery I’d use it too. (If I wanted that on the stationery – I used to sell the stuff and I can’t tell you how many times our printers just read the name off the order form instead of looking at the name they actually wanted on the product.) So I guess to evaluate if it were appropriate, I’d have to know what you sold. But as to being permissable, it’s just like “Dr.”; you’re the one who earned it, you’re the one who gets to decide when to use it. –Cliffy, Esq. ---
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/6 "2002-05-29T18:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\* So I guess to evaluate if it were appropriate, I’d have to know what you sold. \*\* I work for [MobilePlanet](http://www.mobileplanet.com), and this particular person bought an earpiece for his cellphone. His credit card has “Esq” on it, so I had to enter his name as such. Whether it was appropriate or not was a moot point in that case. Thanks for all your answers by the way! ---
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/7 "2002-05-29T18:26:00Z")
Oy, preview is my friend, preview is my friend… ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/8 "2002-05-29T18:26:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JustPlainBryan \* > \*\*Can the “Esquire” addition be passed on to offspring, as in “Bill S. Preston Esquire” from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure? \*\* No. Or rather, yes, but only by paying for them to go to law school… 😉 –Cliffy P.S. Bill was just a dorky kid who thought “Esquire” was cool. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/9 "2002-05-29T18:30:41Z")
At one time, it seemed that anyone who could be considered a “gentleman” might use _Esquire_; there was a time in my life when I did so, because I was enamored of 19th century manners and customs. But is the use of the word _Esquire_ now restricted by law to attorneys, or is that just tradition? Could I have been prosecuted for practicing law without a license? I’d imagine that if I gave out business cards that said, “Javaman, Esq.”, many people might wrongly assume that I was an attorney, and that would be illegal. But if the cards said, “Javaman, Esq., Programmer Extroardinaire”, then would that absolve me of guilt or liability? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/10 "2002-05-29T18:36:53Z")
This was answered in the [mailbag](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mesquire.html) a while back ---
**Author:** ![RegularGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@RegularGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RegularGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/11 "2002-05-29T18:39:37Z")
This is my first post, so I’ll probably screw it up a bit – but here goes. Javaman, I’ve always heard that the “esquire” schtick stemmed from days of old, knights and squires, trial by combat, that sort of thing. Fella gets challenged to a duel, thinks the challenger is beneath him, sends out his designated shield-bearer to fight the guy on his behalf. Through the years, one’s attorney took over significantly similar functions and got entitled to the “esquire” treatment. As for your personal use of the term, I’d refer you back to what Cliffy already said; substitute “Doctor” in your question and see where it gets you. ---
**Author:** ![RegularGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@RegularGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RegularGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/12 "2002-05-29T18:41:17Z")
Oh, man, look at that. Five seconds before I post, someone beats me to it. Must happen a lot around here. Makes me look like an idiot, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/13 "2002-05-29T18:47:40Z")
[This](http://www.richecourt.com/glossary_of_noble_terms.htm) site gives the British usage: > [@](#): > > **in Great Britain, a member of the gentry ranking below a knight; squire.** This sort of “esquire” is not hereditary; the title was, at one time, claimed by the leading gentleman of a parish without being bestowed, and was in this sense inherited at times. Neither variety of “esquire” is much used any more, aside from being used by certain officials. Lawyers in Britain are gentlemen, but not squires. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/14 "2002-05-29T18:53:11Z")
I think the mailbag answer was slightly wrong. In England, I believe, it is perfectly acceptable (if slightly old fashioned) for any adult man to use “Esq.” instead of “Mr.” It long ago became a courtesy title (just like “Mr.”) for anyone without some other title. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/15 "2002-05-29T19:13:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RegularGuy \* > \*\* > As for your personal use of the term, I’d refer you back to what Cliffy already said; substitute “Doctor” in your question and see where it gets you. \*\* But there’s a significant difference between _Doctor_ and _Esquire_. _Doctor_ specifically means that you have a doctorate level degree. _Esquire_, on the other hand, still has vestigial usages besides designating someone as an attorney. So I’d assume I could still call myself _Esq._ if I wanted to, as suggested by the mailbag link above. Not that I would now, of course: When I used to do it I was just a dorky kid who thought it sounded cool. ---
**Author:** ![RegularGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@RegularGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RegularGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/16 "2002-05-29T19:42:36Z")
I dunno, javaman. “Doctor” seems to have a unofficial connotation to boot; witness Dr. J, Doctor Demento, and, uh, that guy on “Third Watch.” Boy, that argument sure petered out right quick. But all the same, I’d figure a “Doc” nickname or the like is not unheard of. Throw in honorary doctorates and we’re straying into territory where the term begins to lack any real meaning. (Didn’t Kermit the Frog receive a bona fide honorary degree?) ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/17 "2002-05-29T21:32:12Z")
i wish i could be an “esquire” as my real name is Ed Squires ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/18 "2002-05-29T21:34:22Z")
You’re not going to be prosecuted for using it. You’re not going to prosecuted for calling yourself “Doctor,” either, or even “Mr. President,” as long as you’re not using it as part of a scam. But people will think you’re a boob. 😉 –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![JustPlainBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/19 "2002-05-29T21:46:27Z")
\ Is there any difference at all between a solicitor, a lawyer, and an attorney, or do they all mean the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390/20 "2002-05-30T00:16:37Z")
In Cambridge at least, you’re entitled to be called “esquire” after you’ve completed an undergraduate degree. I assume the same is true at Oxford, but am not sure about other universities in England. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-blow-esquire/111390.md?page=2)