Flyboats,
You have fallen for a line of logical reasoning that is false. Take the statement 'all Boeing 737s are aircraft'. From this you cannot reverse the statement to get 'all aircraft are 737s'. Similarly, to be recognised by a professional organisation as an engineer does not mean that if you are not recognised by that body, you are not an engineer. So, more correctly 'in the modern vernacular', if you say you are an engineer, it may mean that you have an engineering degree, or it might mean that you are in one of the other recognised disciplines recognised as engineers.
Your statement that licenced aircraft engineers are trying to be something they are not is false. An engineer that has gone to university and obtained a tertiary qualification is a different species of engineer to a licenced engineer. The term 'engineer' predates the tertiary qualification. You brush off the reference to military engineers, when in fact, they were the 'first' engineers. The term 'civil engineer' was developed to differentiate the discipline from the established use of the term. The soldiers you describe are very much engineers. Sappers in the Royal Corps of Engineers are trained as military engineers, then have another specialty to do some of the tasks you mention.
'Got to love the Brits and their titles', well, they also invented the language we use (edit: yes, I know many of the words are borrowed or derived from other languages). There are plenty of words in the English language that have nuances and different meanings determined by context.
I note with interest that you to point out my thinking is 'black and white'. Perhaps you should reflect back on what your argument is: engineering degree equals engineer, no engineering degree means not an engineer. It is this argument that is black and white, and wrong.
Now, this web site is a professional pilots rumour network. I am a professional, are you? Interested in what your thoughts are regarding use of the word 'professional'
Last edited by theheadmaster; 21st May 2014 at 09:38.