I recently read an article on business writers, referring to the ‘ … Malcom Gladwells, Jim Collinses and Harvey MacKays of this century.’ I really hate plural name references, as if there is more than one Malcom Gladwell or Jim Collins in a group somewhere.
While basically harmless and used everywhere, this construct really annoys me. So much easier to write something like ‘ … contemporary experts like Malcom Gladwell, Jim Collins or Harvey MacKay.’ instead with no clumsy plural names.
If you don’t agree, thanks for reading anyway and at least thinking about it. If you do, then pledge not to ever use plural names in this context again and poke fun at your colleagues who do. (Unless, of course, you’re asking ‘How many Jim Smiths are there in the phone book?’ But then, you’d need to tell many readers what a phone book is.)
Works for me … and the Phil Stellas of workplace communication agree.