Licensiado

I find it interesting that some of my brother's clients refer to him as Doctor (in spanish). They are mainly from Honduras and El Salvador. The Mexicans usually simply call him el abogado or licensiado. What's in a title and does it matter how we refer to someone?

I bring this up because I usually am pretty proper when it comes to people with certain titles - (e)specifically academics and politicians. I think it's because as a child I always admired people in these positions.

I am good friends with several professors and a couple of politicos in state/federal office. We talk as if we were camaradas hanging out at the corner, but whenever I refer to them or address them, I always use their titles: Representative (so and so), Dr. (so and so). To tell you the truth, it kind of irks me when people don't use their titles. I figure they did SOMETHING to get there. I reckon' I respect the position or the office.

For instance, although I don't relieve like President Bush, I would always call him Presidnet Bush. In college, even if a professor will ask us to call him/her by their first name, I would still call them Dr. or Professor (if they weren't doctors yet).

Again, I'm not sure why I do this, but when I heard people calling my brother that, I immediately thought of how I refer to people.