Commencal Part Ways with George Brannigan
Ever since George AKA JoJo/GeoGeo/Georgio/GC(Good Clifford) joined the Commencal Vallnord DH Team 2 years ago, it's been nothing but good times, apart from those damned injuries... Heal up again soon bro!
It's always a pleasure to watch George riding a bike whether it's a DH, Enduro or an HT, he will always push himself and test his mad skills to the max. That, together with his professional and upbeat attitude are the reasons why he's one of the best! It was also great timing for us to have Kiwi George in NZ for the opening of Commencal New Zealand. In fact, his 2016 World Champs frame design (his first custom Worlds frame ever) has been a great sales success around the world, so thanks for the inspiration G!
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and it's time for us to say ciao to George and wish him luck with his future ventures. We can't wait to see his trademark looseness, massive airtime and simple passion for riding for many more years to come yet, whichever bike he's riding… And we’re already looking forward to hearing his flawless French accent around the pits next year!
MENTIONS: @COMMENCALbicycles
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The headline should read: "Commencal Parts Ways With George Brannigan". This drives me nuts. Yes I know a company is made up of a few or a lot of people, but the company is still singular. A human being is made up of billions of atoms...yet a human being is still a singular entity.
I believe the usage is actually correct, at least according to Merriam-Webster dictionary it is.
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/part%20ways
Never the less, I get where you're coming from, @TheRaven, and I agree that reference to a company ought be singular; however, for consideration or rejection, perhaps Commencal had its own way, and George had his own way, thus ways had been parted.
Sometimes it's hard to write good. [Tips hat.]
Happy trails, good sir.
To put it in terms that non-grammar-nerds understand (that's an insult to me, not you):
- "part ways" is the plural form of the action - many acting on many or many acting on one. So you could say "riders part ways with e-bikes" or "riders part ways with the rigid dropper post".
- "parts ways" is the singular form of the action - one acting on one or one action on many. So you could say "TheRaven parts ways with a Reverb" or "TheRaven parts ways with SRAM Brakes". What they are saying here would be like saying "TheRaven part ways with Enduro riding" which makes no sense.
It may be that the usage in this article's headline is accepted as correct in Canada or the UK. I'm just pointing out that it's incorrect in the US and bugs the crap out of me. I mean like bothers me in the way that guys who plaster their already brand-plastered bike with more brand-plastering stickers bother me (another one-acting-on-many vs many-acting-on-one example in fact).
However, from the title above, I think that Commencal should have been used as a singular collective noun since from a business perpective the whole company will no longer do business with Mr. Brannigan, not just certain individuals.
#grammarnazi
My usage peeve is when "your" is used when "you're" is in fact correct. Another one is when "they" is used to refer to an individual. Furthermore, there are such things as preferred/requested pronouns, like ze and zir, for example. It's hard to keep up with it all.
Confession: I used to plaster my bike with stickers. Past tense.
In other words, yes you're right, but in the UK this would be the normal way of saying it.
I am from the UK and it annoys the shit out of me!
"Manchester United lose at home". Aargh!
Yes there are people who make up the company but just like you are made up of many parts we don't refer to your parts - i.e. "babathehutt's legs did a great job on that climb!". To support your argument, you could actually say that "Employees of Commencal part ways with George Brannigan" but that wouldn't really be correct as Bob in marketing had nothing to do with that decision. Unless you get so granular that you name the members of the company's race team management who actually DID make the decision, then you have to stick with the singular "parts ways" version.
― The Silence of the Lambs
- "parts ways" is the singular form of the action - one acting on one or one action on many. So you could say "TheRaven parts ways with a Reverb" or "TheRaven parts ways with SRAM Brakes". What they are saying here would be like saying "TheRaven part ways with Enduro riding" which makes no sense.
You would structure all those sentences differently and use 'have/has parted ways', 'is parting ways with' etc. You wouldn't use "part ways" in any of those examples (but i'm from a more UK derived dialect).
I've been on vacation for three months. But I'll be sure to have lots of typo's for you to be a little bitch about in 2018 while you are trapped inside your cubicle ;-)
Prettt sure Brook retired....
hes off GT and on *********
www.pinkbike.com/video/400828
Good luck in 2018 George!
But maybe you're right and the world of professional MTB is an example of how it should be. Maybe folks can part ways, and still be friends...
Sometimes it's amicable, sometimes not. Unless it was the result of a bitter, ongoing fued, I don't see the need to hash out all the gory details
Ricky: well, you can get what you want Bubs, but I want jalapeno chips!