rocket, match, Lucifers, set one's sights on

Alibaba Sets Its Sights on U.S. Markets1

At 17, App Builder Rockets to Riches From Yahoo Deal

 Linsanity rockets across Taiwan
China Post
Upon arrival in Taiwan on a China Airlines flight at 4:55 a.m., Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese descent, headed directly to a five-star hotel in Taipei. After snatching some rest, the 23-year-old point guard left the hotel at 10 a.m. and went to ...



Alliant, EADS Unit Set Sights on Rocket Venture

Alliant Techsystems and a unit of EADS are teaming up to propose development of a rocket that may be a game-changer for the U.S. government's space ambitions.

Whose idea was the match? Imagine a world without fire. Now, imagine a world without the match. It was only in the 19th century that English chemist and pharmacist John Walker accidentally came upon the idea of coating the end of a wooden stick with antimony sulfide, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch. Once the chemicals dried, he found he could start a fire just by striking the stick anywhere. He called his invention "Congreves" after the Congreve's rocket. On this date in 1827, Walker first sold his friction matches. Walker never patented the idea and someone else later marketed them as "lucifers."

Quote:

"The best way to make a fire with two sticks is to make sure one of them is a match." — Will Rogers


 

rocket[rock・et¹]

• レベル：大学入試程度
• 発音記号[rɑ'kit | rɔ'k-]

[名]

1 ロケット；ロケット弾, ロケットミサイル

launch a rocket
ロケットを打ち上げる.

2 火矢, のろし；打ち上げ花火.

3 ((英略式))激しい叱責(しっせき), 大目玉

give a person a rocket
人をどやしつける

get a rocket
大目玉をくう.

━━[動](他)〈人工衛星などを〉ロケットで打ち上げる；…をロケット弾［ミサイル］で攻撃する［運ぶ］.

━━(自)

1 〈馬・車などが〉突進する((along, away, off, past)).

2 （猟で）〈キジなどが〉一直線に飛び上がる.

3 〈物価・人気などが〉（…まで）急上昇する((up/to ...))

rocket to stardom
スターダムにのし上がる

Sales have been rocketing (up).
売上が急速に伸びてきた.

［フランス語←イタリア語rocchetta （rocca糸巻棒＋-etta指小辞）. 形状が似ていることから］

set one's sights on

Have as a goal, as in She's set her sights on law school. This expression alludes to the device on a firearm used for taking aim. [Mid-1900s]