spur, spurt, spark , outcry, rosewood, jaunt, Wish to see you in Taiwan

Explorer and coloniser Christopher Columbus died on May 20th 1506. Thomas Friedman credited him with sparking the phenomenon of globalisation

Confusing Columbus

Christopher Columbus died on this day in 1506

ECON.ST

On March 3, 1991, in a case that sparked a national outcry, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video.


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China Said to Fuel Illegal Trade in Timber
New York Times
BEIJING — China's growing appetite for rosewood 紅木 dining sets, hardwood floors, plywood and printer paper is helping propel a booming trade in illegally harvested timber and spurring the destruction of fragile ecosystems across the globe, a British ...

GM, eBay Deal Sparks Buzz, Few Sales

An effort to sell GM cars through eBay is generating some leads for participating auto dealers but hasn't yet sparked a spurt in sales.

A Spurt of Quake Activity Raises Fears in Yellowstone

USA Today leads with an analysis of federal data that shows midsize airports located outside big cities are experiencing a huge growth spurt. The number of passengers and flights at these airports, which are close to cities such as New York and Boston, has increased by up to 400 percent in the past 10 years.

台湾、9月初旬までテレビCMを19局で放映－秋冬の需要喚起をはかる

[掲載日：2008/08/04]

台湾観光局は8月から9月初旬まで、テレビコマーシャルによる観光プロモーションを展開する。「Wish　to　see　you　in　Taiwan」を テーマにイメージキャラクターを務めるF4が故宮など台湾各地をめぐる30秒の映像を計19局で放映する。秋から冬の観光シーズンに向け集客に勢いをつけ たい考えだ。このほか、新聞や雑誌に広告を掲載して、若い女性やシニア層に温暖な気候や比較的短い連休でも訪問できる近距離の気軽さなど秋冬の台湾の魅力 を訴求する。 　台湾観光局は7月15日、新たな台湾観光イメージキャラクターとして4人組のアイドルグループ「飛輪海（フェイルンハ イ）」と契約した。F4によるプロモーションが終了する11月以降、宣伝や広告のほか、台湾でのファンミーティング開催などを予定しており、本格的なプロ モーションを展開する。

Frugal Traveler:
The Grand Tour

The Frugal Traveler is on a 12-week journey across Europe, reimagining the classic Grand Tour as a budget-minded, modern-day jaunt.

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Coal Country Looks to Natural Gas

By IAN URBINA 7 minutes ago

Schuylkill County, in the heart of Pennsylvania’s coal mining region, may turn to natural gas to power its municipal facilities, a proposal that has sparked outrage.

spark (CAUSE) 

noun [S]

a first small event or problem which causes a much worse situation to develop:

That small incident was the spark that set off the street riots.

spark 

verb [T]

to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting:

This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about how to organize the school system.

The recent interest rises have sparked new problems for the Government.

The visit of the all-white rugby team sparked off (= caused the start of) mass demonstrations.

jaunt
noun [C]
a short journey for pleasure, sometimes including a stay:
a Sunday jaunt into the hills

jaunt
verb [I usually + adverb or preposition]
to go on a jaunt:
DISAPPROVING He's always jaunting off around the world on business trips, leaving his wife to cope with the babies by herself.

wish (HOPE) Show phonetics
verb [+ two objects]
1 to hope or express hope for another person's success or happiness or pleasure on a particular occasion:
We wish you every success in the future.
I didn't even see her to wish her a happy birthday/wish a happy birthday to her.
I wished her a safe journey and waved her off.

2 wish sb well to hope someone will succeed:
I wished him well with his new venture.

wishes Show phonetics
plural noun
best wishes something you say or write at the end of a letter to show that you hope someone is happy and has good luck:
He ended the letter "Best wishes, Carlo".
Do give/send Patrick my best wishes.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.


spurt

━━ n. 拍車; 刺激 ((to, for)); 激励; （鳥の）けづめ; 木の根; （岩・山の）突出部; （鉄道などの）支線.



spur

[名]

1 拍車.

2 刺激, （…への）激励, 鼓舞, 動機, 衝動((to, for ...))

Poverty is the artist's best spur.
貧乏こそ芸術家を最も駆り立てるものだ.

3 （鳥の）けづめ；（闘鶏の）鉄けづめ.

4 （けづめのように）鋭く突き出たもの.

5 《植物》距(きょ)；短果枝.

6 《地学》山脚：支脈になった尾根.

7 《建築》けづめ(griffe)；方杖(ほうづえ)；控え壁, 段壁.

8 《陶芸》スプール：釉(ゆう)焼きのとき焼成物を支えておく三角形の台.

9 ((米))《鉄道》行き止まり線(spur track).
on the spur of the moment　時のはずみで; とっさに.
win one's spurs　名をあげる, てがらをたてる.
━━ v. （-rr-） 拍車をかける［つける］ ((on, onward)); 激励［刺激］する ((on, to, into)); 促進する; 馬を飛ばす.
spur a willing horse　必要以上にせき立てる.
spur gear [wheel]　【機】平(ひら)歯車.
spur-of-the-moment　━━ a. 即席の.

━━[動]（〜red, 〜・ring）(他)

1 ［III[名]（[副]）］〈馬に〉拍車をかける；〈馬に〉拍車をかけ進ませる((on))

spur a horse (to jump) over a fence
馬に拍車をかけてへいを飛び越えさせる.

2 …を刺激する, （…に）かりたてる((on/to ...))；［V[名]to do］〈人に〉（…するよう）鼓舞［激励］する

spur a person to ［into］ action
人を激励して行動させる

His success spurred him to greater efforts.
成功したことが刺激となってますます努力するようになった.

3 〈闘鶏が〉…を鉄けづめでける［傷つける］.

4 ((主に受身))…に拍車［鉄けづめ］をつける.

━━(自)((文))馬に拍車をかける；急いで進む, 急ぐ.
n.

1. A sudden forcible gush or jet.
2. A sudden short burst, as of energy, activity, or growth.

v., spurt·ed, spurt·ing, spurts. v.intr.

1. To gush forth suddenly in a jet.
2. To make a brief intense effort or show a sudden increase in activity or speed.

v.tr.
To force out in a sudden jet.

[Origin unknown.]