people who overtly use their professional/military/educational titles in social and other (for lack of a better term) informal settings to garner superiority status. i respect the military and those who serve but i am not going to call an arrogant retired captain 'captain, cap or sir' at the neighborhood potluck. likewise, the fact that someone has an obscure doctorate degree and chose upon receiving it to change their personal title from mr. or ms. to 'doctor' (as well as publicly proclaiming it via their car's license plate, personal stationary, in every random email or facebook posting...) does not mean they are superior to others and again-i am not going to call them 'doctor' as a first name.