# Lawyers' use of "Esquire" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 24, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655 "2002-07-24T23:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhapsody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Rhapsody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhapsody)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655/21 "2002-08-06T11:04:03Z")
I guess they need something to help them over the embarassement of being an attorney. Lawyers are about as useful to the world as hemorhoids. I would rather have a confessed murderer in my family than a lawyer. At least you have a good chance at honest conversation with the murderer. And the murderer will TELL you he is a criminal rather than pretend to be something respectable. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655/22 "2002-08-07T04:41:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nametag \* > \*\*Article I, section 9, paragraph 8: “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.” > > Note: the original contains lots of capital letters in silly places. > > So I can use any title I want to, as long as no one gave it to me. \*\* Exactly. That’s why when you use the word “Esquire”, we all remember _Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure_, and remember how silly and rediculous using your own title or moniker is. You won’t even catch me using my formal signature block on anything beyond what I’m required to on an official memorandum. Tripler BeER,BsEE,Lt,USAF,EOD,Hi-5,5CES ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655/23 "2002-08-13T07:53:11Z")
Just as well the sun’s gone down, **Rhapsody** , pigeons shitting on your head for all eternity might be even worse than living in a world with lawyers in it. FWIW, in Australian usage Esquire does not in any sense denote that one is an attorney. It just denotes that you are being super polite to whoever you are addressing, and that you were born in the very eary part of the last century (or may as well have been). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655/24 "2002-08-13T11:57:24Z")
Whoa, easy there, **Princhester.** Personal insults are neither acceptable nor tolerated in this forum. You want to hurl personal insults at each other, go to the forum called BBQ PIT and be my guest. We haven’t addressed the case of an insult hurled at a whole profession or group of people before. I understand you consider it provocation. I think it depends on context, however, I think that **Rhapsody** ’s comments are of dubious acceptability for this forum. So, both of you, cut it out in this forum. Rhapsody, if you want to make clever and witty lawyer jokes, that would be OK for this forum in context, but nasty ill-feelings should be vented elsewhere. Princhester, no more such personal comments in this forum. Play nice. ---
**Author:** ![Rhapsody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Rhapsody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhapsody)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-use-of-esquire/120655/25 "2002-08-13T12:29:46Z")
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