1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new ones don't.

Could that mean:

a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a short period of time don't.

I guess '1' would normally mean:

b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his current ones don't.

Gratefully,
Navi

Lost in the Twilight Zone of the English language
Interested in strange structures
Obsessed with ambiguity

Le 17/03/2024 à 06:12, navi a écrit :
>
> 1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new
> ones don't.
>
> Could that mean:
>
> a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to
> handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a
> short period of time don't.
>
> I guess '1' would normally mean:
> b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his
> current ones don't.

I'm going to say 'colleagues', since I thoroughly dislike 'co-workers'.

It is clumsy and ambiguous.

His former colleagues knew how to handle such situations;
his present ones don't.

His experienced colleagues know how to handle such situations;
those new to the job don't.

Or perhaps:

His former colleagues know how to handle such situations
(but have been moved elsewhere); his present ones don't.

His older colleagues know how to handle such situations;
the younger ones don't.

This in haste, I'm afraid. Going out shortly, so E&OE.

On 17-Mar-24 6:12, navi wrote:
> 1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new
> ones don't.
>
> Could that mean:
>
> a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to
> handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a
> short period of time don't.
>
> I guess '1' would normally mean:
> b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his
> current ones don't.

To support your meaning b) I would expect it to read:

His old co-workers knew how to handle such situations but his new
ones don't.

--
Sam Plusnet

Hibou wrote:

> Le 17/03/2024 à 06:12, navi a écrit :
>>
>> 1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new
>> ones don't.
>>
>> Could that mean:
>>
>> a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to
>> handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a
>> short period of time don't.
>>
>> I guess '1' would normally mean:
>> b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his
>> current ones don't.

> I'm going to say 'colleagues', since I thoroughly dislike 'co-workers'.

> His older colleagues know/[knew] how to handle such situations;
> the younger ones don't.

This one, IMO.

However, "colleagues" might feel two intellectual in some groups. The advice I hear is to use [anglo]-saxon roots for power, not [anglo]-norman which may feel too refined and/or foreign.

--
Marius Hancu

Marius_Hancu wrote:

> Hibou wrote:

>> Le 17/03/2024 à 06:12, navi a écrit :
>>>
>>> 1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new
>>> ones don't.
>>>
>>> Could that mean:
>>>
>>> a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to
>>> handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a
>>> short period of time don't.
>>>
>>> I guess '1' would normally mean:
>>> b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his
>>> current ones don't.

>> I'm going to say 'colleagues', since I thoroughly dislike 'co-workers'.

>> His older colleagues know/[knew] how to handle such situations;
>> the younger ones don't.

> This one, IMO.

> However, "colleagues" might feel two intellectual in some groups. The advice I hear is to use [anglo]-saxon roots for power, not [anglo]-norman which may feel too refined and/or foreign.
However,
https://www.english-corpora.org/coca/
prefers "colleagues" in "my former colleagues" 7 to 1 over the other one.
--
Marius Hancu

Hibou wrote:

> Le 17/03/2024 à 06:12, navi a écrit :
>>
>> 1) His old co-workers know how to handle such situations but his new
>> ones don't.
>>
>> Could that mean:
>>
>> a) The people who have been his co-workers for a long time know how to
>> handle such situations but those who have been his co-workers for a
>> short period of time don't.
>>
>> I guess '1' would normally mean:
>> b) His previous co-workers know how to handle such situations but his
>> current ones don't.

> I'm going to say 'colleagues', since I thoroughly dislike 'co-workers'.
...

I suspect that "co-worker" was invented to avoid the restricted meaning
of "colleague". The OED doesn't seem to know that the restriction has
disappeared in British English and seems to be disappearing in American
English.

"One who is associated with another (or others) in office, or special
employment; strictly, said of those who stand in the same relationship
to their electors, or to the office which they jointly discharge. (Not
applied to partners in trade or manufacture.)"

In the U.S., probably because of the connection to "college", it's
especially associated with teachers and professors, but as I said,
it's now sometimes used for any fellow employee.

--
Jerry Friedman