Saturday, July 21, 2007

Esquire

Do u know what is a esq. ?
read if u want to know ...
Esquire (abbreviated Esq.) is a title of honour and dignity ranked below a knight and above a gentleman, allowed, for example, to the sons of nobles and to the gentry who do not possess any other title.
It ultimately derived from the medieval term squire.
On this basis, a gentleman was traditionally designated Mr ('mister' before his name), whereas an Esquire was designated 'Esq.' (without a nominal prefix) after his name.
Still dont understand ..go on reading ...
A very late example of this distinction is in the list of subscribers to The History of Elton, by the Rev. Rose Fuller Whistler, published in 1882, which clearly distinguishes between subscribers designated "Mr" and those designated "Esquire" — of higher social position; though old-fashioned, "Esq." remains widely used in "upper-class" circles.
wo ..old fashion and modem english ...
The suffix "Esq." has no legal meaning in the United States as a whole.
It may, in theory, be given to anyone (usually a man).
In practice, it is applied primarily to lawyers (of both sexes in the United States only).

In some states, using the term in a manner that might lead others to assume you are licensed to practice law in that state can be used as evidence of unauthorized practice of law.
Americans don't typically refer to themselves as an "esquire".
It is more often used as an honorific when referring to another person.
The tradition of referring to a lawyer with the title "esquire" is reminiscent of the British practice in which barristers claimed the status "Esquire" and solicitors used the term "Gentleman".
In the United States, though a lawyer may choose to specialize in litigation or other types of law, there are no licensing or bar membership distinctions between the equivalent roles of barrister and solicitor.
funny enough ..if u come across esq in a movie ..
According to Bill from the movie, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the definition of esquire is "a very important person." Bill often introduces himself in the movie as Bill S. Preston, Esquire.

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