CONTENTS FEATURE: Lawyers debate the legitimacy of the title 'Esq.' GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn up to $500 FEATURE: Lawyers debate the legitimacy of the title 'Esq.'      When referring to a lawyer, should you use the courtesy title "Esq."? And if so, which is correct: 1. Attorney John Doe, Esq.; 2. Mr. John Doe, Esq.; or 3. John Doe, Esq.?      That's what reader Stephanie S. was deliberating when she requested advice from EditPros.      The designation "Esq." is an abbreviation of the word "esquire," which originated in 15th-century England. It was then used in reference to a member of the English gentry whose social status ranked below that of a knight, or to a person serving as shield bearer and attendant to a knight during a period of candidacy for knighthood. The term subsequently was applied to designate English barristers, sergeants and judges, according to Barron's Law Dictionary. It is derived from the Latin word "scutum," which meant "shield."      Because the United States Constitution prohibits granting of titles of nobility within U.S. borders, the title "Esq." is an anachronism in contemporary America. But it has been retained as a courtesy title among members of the legal profession. Since knighthood was the derivation of the term, lawyers have engaged in debate about the propriety of the term for female lawyers. That's a matter best left for lawyers to argue among themselves, but we can tell you that The Chicago Manual of Style recommends against using the abbreviation "Esq." in combination with any other title, either before or after the name of an individual.      The Chicago style manual would permit "John Doe, Esq." or "attorney John Doe, Esq." (as long as the word "attorney" appears in lowercase so that it is used as a modifier rather than a title). The Chicago manual would forbid "Mr. John Doe, Esq." or "John Doe, Esq., LL.D."      The Association of the Bar of the City of New York issued a formal opinion on May 5, 1994, about use of the title "Esq." in the legal profession.      "It is not clear how the title 'Esquire' came to be used so commonly (and seemingly so exclusively) by lawyers in the United States. There is no authority that reserves the title 'Esquire' for the exclusive use of lawyers," the New York City Bar's statement said. In composing its formal opinion, the bar association observed, "New York's Judiciary Law contains no reference to the use of the term 'esquire' in its provisions governing 'Attorneys and Counsellors.' Indeed, it has been noted that an 'esquire' has no relation to law. It is often added to the names of poets or artists; and the term may be applied to a landed proprietor or a country squire; that being one of courtesy.... Nowhere do we find that the term 'esquire' denotes an attorney at law."      Because at its origins "Esq." was a title that was bestowed, rather than self-proclaimed, appropriation of the title by anyone of any profession may be perceived as self-righteous and egotistical.      A columnist nicknamed "The Snark" in the Fulton County Daily Report, a legal newspaper in Atlanta, Ga., advised lawyers against using the title "Esq." in their signatures or on their business cards because doing so can be perceived as self-congratulatory. The article said that if it's used at all, the title "Esq." should be reserved strictly for reference to others. And it should replace other titles rather than appear in addition to them.      "You must not violate the rule that 'Esquire' trumps all other titles. You should not refer to yourself as 'Dr. Big Wig, Esq.' or 'Smart E. Pants, Esq., M.D., M. Div., Ph.D.' If you list all your degrees, people will not think you are really smart. They will think you are really insecure," The Snark wrote.      In an online discussion forum, a female lawyer whose firm encouraged its lawyers to use the "Esq." appendage wrote why she believes doing so is a bad idea.      "Within six months after my business credit card account was opened, a couple of us began receiving some third-party junk mail solicitations addressed to us as if our last names were 'Esq.' I would get junk mail addressed to me as 'Dear Ms. Esq,'" she said.      "For years, each of the major credit reporting agencies continued to show my name with 'Esq.' as an alias. I may be a lawyer, but I will never use 'Esq.' again," she concluded.      Popular culture also has played a role in dimming whatever prestige the title may have held. Another writer on the same forum added that use of the title "Esq." brought to mind for him the loopy teenage title characters from the 1989 motion picture Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.      "Whenever I hear someone refer to himself (or herself) as 'Esquire' I immediately think of Bill S. Preston, Esquire, and Ted 'Theodore' Logan," said the writer, who concluded his message with a line from the movie: "Party on, dudes!" GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions 1. Yan L. wrote:      "What is the plural form for 'Madam'?" The grammar coach replies:      The noun "Madam" (pronounced "MAAD-em") may be used as a salutation in a letter (as in "Dear Madam or Sir") or before a woman's surname or her title of rank or office (as in "Madam Ambassador" or "Madam Smith"). Be certain to capitalize it; used generically in lowercase, it refers to a woman who operates a brothel. The abbreviation of "Madam" is "Mdm."      The plural of "Madam" is "Mesdames," which is pronounced "may-DAAM" or "may-DOM" (without an "s" sound). The abbreviation for "Mesdames" is "Mmes."      The noun "Madame" (ending in an "e" and pronounced either "muh-DOM," "muh-DAAM" or "MAAD-em") is the French equivalent of the title "Mrs." In English it its used as a title of respect before the name of a woman. It may be abbreviated as either "Mme." or "Mdme."      "Madame" can take either of two plural forms: "Madames" or "Mesdames" (pronounced "may-DAAM" or "may-DOM"). 2. Kathleen G. wrote:      "When using the phrase 'school-wide,' should I include the hyphen, or should 'schoolwide' be one word or a compound word with a space — 'school wide'? Also, if it is to be hyphenated and in a title, would the word read 'School-Wide' or 'School-wide'? Thank you for your help." The grammar coach replies:      We searched far and wide for your answer, Kathleen. The suffix "-wide" is a "combining form" that means "existing or extending throughout a specified area." The Chicago Manual of Style endorses closing compounds ending in "wide" (eliminating hyphens) unless they are cumbersome. One such awkward combination is "universitywide," which the style book says should appear either as a hyphenated compound modifier or as two separate words, as in "a university-wide ban on alcohol" and "the ban on alcohol was university wide." Closed combined-form words that are acceptable include "statewide," "worldwide" and "countywide."      The Associated Press Stylebook is more tolerant of long words composed with the combining form "-wide." It approves of all such combinations without a hyphen, and includes as examples "citywide," "continentwide" and "industrywide."      Thus, "schoolwide" is acceptable as a closed word under the guidelines of both style manuals. In a title, it would appear as "Schoolwide."      Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help—at no charge, just for the sport of it. FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn a finder's fee of up to $500      Do you know of a friend or colleague whose office can benefit from EditPros services? If you do, EditPros may reward you with a "finder's fee" of up to $500.      EditPros LLC, established in 1993, performs writing, editing, proofreading and publication management services for newsletters, brochures, Web sites, annual reports, research studies, business proposals, and other informational and marketing materials. Our office is in Davis, Calif., between Sacramento and San Francisco; however, our clients include educational institutions, private corporations, health-care organizations, trade associations, scientific research institutions, Web site developers and government agencies from throughout the United States. We have worked with some of them for more than 10 years.      If you recommend our services to a friend or business colleague, and that introduction leads to an assignment for EditPros, we will award you a "finder's fee" equaling 10 percent of the amount we earn on the first assignment for the new client, up to a maximum finder's fee of $500. Naturally, the finder's fee is applicable only to clients for which we have not worked previously.      This offer will remain in effect until further notice. 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