Try going to a military social event!

You have to learn to speak acronym.

You get cliques forming around acronyms at computer events too but there are no social strata among geeks, prestige is just related to having money and working more hours than anyone else. People don't introduce themselves by naming their position and firm, especially not to people unconnected with the trade.

Is that how the lawyers were introducing themselves?

In my limited experience I have also found Canadian lawyers relatively snobbish. Although snobbery and class are different things.

I find lawyers in Canada far more snobbish than those in England.

An informed opinion. Thank you. I had thought to add "AC excepted" to my comment, but then realised that's implicit as you are not Canadian (being almost Canadian notwithstanding).

Yes, hand extended, "Philip Burwell, partner at Grabbit Run", which would, I think, be appropriate at a professional event. The idea that anyone outside of the trade would know of Grabbit Run seems to me to be quite snobbish.

A class based western society is just one in which snobbery is widely accepted, if the students at, say, Appleby College, think they're there because their parents didn't have the connections to get them into UCC and think less of themselves because of that, then there's a class system. If they don't care then there isn't such a system. I think parents and children in Canada very much care which school they go to.

"Partner" was the keyword in there.

It is, of course, all bollocks. I'm a company director and technically our "Director - North America". I only ever use that title when I feel the need to out-gun or out-class someone.

I hope you responded, "DBD, assimilated pauper"

It's an old chestnut, but the school-obsession thing is at best a Southern Ontario phenomena, not Canada wide. Parts of Vancouver may be an honourable exception. Relative to British school obsession, Canadian schools are much of a muchness.

All professions engage in this behaviour, its about group identity, it serves both to include and exclude. They're to be pitied rather than envied.

Not necessarily, it builds group cohesiveness and makes communication more efficient. Not envied or pitied IMO.

I worked on a big engineering and construction project in the head office of a Canadian oil company, and as you would expect, the offices were occupied by fastidious engineering types and rufty-tufty construction managers.

There was also, however, a thrusting young company lawyer assigned to the project and his office was the epitome of every TV legal drama you'd ever seen... green leather chair, big expansive oak desk, framed diplomas on the walls, volumes of leather-bound books in the bookcase and even a very large globe at the side of his desk. I don't know for certain, but I'd bet my house that it was an opening one that would have a crystal decanter of fine Scotch and some hefty crystal tumblers inside.

There is an institution in Calgary called the Petroleum Club, which is as close as Calgary comes to London's gentlemen's clubs - all oak panelled dining rooms and leather Chesterfields under big portraits etc. Costs a fortune to be a member there. I've worked in the oil industry for years and never been a member of any clubs like that... no surprises, but it was the lawyer who had a membership and who guested me in the only time I went.

Bless

i'm glad we hang out with artists/film types. After reading this thread.

There is an institution in Calgary called the Petroleum Club, which is as close as Calgary comes to London's gentlemen's clubs - all oak panelled dining rooms and leather Chesterfields under big portraits etc. Costs a fortune to be a member there. I've worked in the oil industry for years and never been a member of any clubs like that... no surprises, but it was the lawyer who had a membership and who guested me in the only time I went.

Do you think he was bragging and showing off by inviting you or taking pity on you

Good friends back in England are film types, also very posh and very unsnobby.