spar

English translation: must be a misprint. Spark?

12:21 Jan 25, 2006
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Chemistry; Chem Sci/Eng
English term or phrase: spar
What does it mean here?

if not treated well, hydrogen peroxide will start to decompose in a very fast and much more dramatic way, producing huge amounts of heat. This in turn will cause to decompose even faster, and as you can guess, produce more heat along the way. The whole process can **spar along** from there with the hydrogen peroxide boiling away to produce huge volumes of oxygen and steam, very quickly.
Grigoriy Smirnov
Russian Federation
Local time: 16:38
Selected answer:must be a misprint. Spark?
Explanation:
I can't find any backing for the term "spar along", so I think it must be a misprint, but for what? Perhaps "spark along", though this is not a standard expression either, but in view the dramatic rate of development of heat, maybe that's it.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:38
Grading comment
Thanks Jack. Thanks to all the answerers.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
2 +4must be a misprint. Spark?
Jack Doughty
5 +1go at a gentle pace.
Mike Delta
3 +1spurt ??
Ken Cox
4spiral?
jccantrell
3 -1spur?
Balasubramaniam L.


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
spur?


Explanation:
Spur would make more sense here. It means at a fast pace, as a horse being spurred along.

Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 19:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Mike Delta: One spurs a horse into a gallop. Ie, an outside influence alters the speed of the horse or reaction. Is there a reference to an outside influence Balsubramaniam
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +4
must be a misprint. Spark?


Explanation:
I can't find any backing for the term "spar along", so I think it must be a misprint, but for what? Perhaps "spark along", though this is not a standard expression either, but in view the dramatic rate of development of heat, maybe that's it.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:38
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 60
Grading comment
Thanks Jack. Thanks to all the answerers.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harry Borsje: seems to fit the context best; spark off?
40 mins
  -> Thank you. "Spark off" would make better sense than "spar along".

agree  Mike Delta: Spark off - start. Referens to flintlock guns.
2 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Alfa Trans (X)
6 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Jianming Sun
18 hrs
  -> Thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
go at a gentle pace.


Explanation:
When you spay with someone you box using fairly gentle blows.

Alternative to jog along.

Mike Delta
Local time: 13:38
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sorry, but it seems that "a gentle pace" is contrary to "very fast and much more dramatic way (of decomposition)"


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dave Calderhead
11 mins

neutral  Ken Cox: IMO the context isn't sufficient to be certain, but I read it to mean the reaction becomes even more violent. // No argument with regard to 'spar'.
1 hr
  -> Me too, I think the word 'race' is more appropriate to the context. But sparring is a gentle contest.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
spurt ??


Explanation:
As indicated by the other answers, this is not conventional usage. The text strikes me as slightly unnatural, so it may have been written by someone with only a limited command of the language (possibly a student). Maybe the author was thinking of 'spurt (along)', which would mean to make a sudden increase in speed.

Ken Cox
Local time: 14:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Seema Ugrankar
10 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
spiral?


Explanation:
As this IS a spiral process, more heat leads to more decomposition which lead to MORE eat...

I would guess spiral, it fits your context rather well from an American's POV.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-01-25 16:52:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

that would be "... leadS to MORE Heat..."

jccantrell
United States
Local time: 06:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search