(from stitching)

tearing ['teərɪŋ]

1 noun

déchirement m

2 adjective

(a) a tearing sound (from paper) un bruit de déchirement; (from stitching) un (bruit de) craquement

(b) British (as intensifier)

∎ to be in a tearing hurry être terriblement pressé

SUBJECT AREA: Domestic appliances and interiors, Textiles

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The son of a millwright, Singer was employed as an unskilled labourer at the age of 12, but later gained wide experience as a travelling machinist. He also found employment as an actor. On 16 May 1839, while living at Lockport, Illinois, he obtained his first patent for a rock-drilling machine, but he soon squandered the money he made. Then in 1849, while at Pittsburgh, he secured a patent for a wood-and metal-carving machine that he had begun five years previously; however, a boiler explosion in the factory destroyed his machine and left him penniless.

Near the end of 1850 Singer was engaged to redesign the Lerow \& Blodgett sewing machine at the Boston shop of Orson C.Phelps, where the machine was being repaired. He built an improved version in eleven days that was sufficiently different for him to patent on 12 August 1851. He formed a partnership with Phelps and G.B. Zieber and they began to market the invention. Singer soon purchased Phelps's interest, although Phelps continued to manufacture the machines. Then Edward Clark acquired a one-third interest and with Singer bought out Zieber. These two, with dark's flair for promotion and marketing, began to create a company which eventually would become the largest manufacturer of sewing machines exported worldwide, with subsidiary factories in England.

However, first Singer had to defend his patent, which was challenged by an earlier Boston inventor, Elias Howe. Although after a long lawsuit Singer had to pay royalties, it was the Singer machine which eventually captured the market because it could do continuous stitching. In 1856 the Great Sewing Machine Combination, the first important pooling arrangement in American history, was formed to share the various patents so that machines could be built without infringements and manufacture could be expanded without fear of litigation. Singer contributed his monopoly on the needle-bar cam with his 1851 patent. He secured twenty additional patents, so that his original straight-needle vertical design for lock-stitching eventually included such refinements as a continuous wheel-feed, yielding presser-foot, and improved cam for moving the needle-bar. A new model, introduced in 1856, was the first to be intended solely for use in the home.

Initially Phelps made all the machines for Singer. Then a works was established in New York where the parts were assembled by skilled workers through filing and fitting. Each machine was therefore a "one-off" but Singer machines were always advertised as the best on the market and sold at correspondingly high prices. Gradually, more specialized machine tools were acquired, but it was not until long after Singer had retired to Europe in 1863 that Clark made the change to mass production. Sales of machines numbered 810 in 1853 and 21,000 ten years later.

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pick [pɪk]

choisir ⇒ 1 (a), 2 cueillir ⇒ 1 (b) enlever ⇒ 1 (c) gratter ⇒ 1 (d) crocheter ⇒ 1 (f) pincer ⇒ 1 (g) choix ⇒ 3 (a) meilleur ⇒ 3 (b) pic ⇒ 3 (c)

1 transitive verb

(a) (select) choisir;

∎ he always picks the most expensive dish il choisit toujours le plat le plus cher;

∎ to pick one's words (carefully) (bien) choisir ses mots;

∎ she's been picked for the England team elle a été sélectionnée pour l'équipe d'Angleterre;

∎ to pick a team former une équipe;

∎ to pick a winner (in racing) choisir un cheval gagnant;

∎ figurative we've certainly picked a winner in Paul Rodger nous avons vraiment tiré le bon numéro avec Paul Rodger;

∎ ironic you really (know how to) pick them! tu les choisis bien!;

∎ ironic you picked a fine time to tell me tu as bien choisi ton moment pour me le dire

(b) (gather → fruit, flowers) cueillir; (→ mushrooms) ramasser;

∎ to pick cherries/grapes (for pleasure) cueillir des cerises/du raisin; (as job) faire la cueillette des cerises/les vendanges;

∎ pick your own (sign) cueillette à la ferme

(c) (remove) enlever;

∎ I had to pick the cat hairs off my dress il a fallu que j'enlève les poils de chat de ma robe

(d) (poke at → spot, scab) gratter;

∎ to pick one's nose se mettre les doigts dans le nez;

∎ to pick one's teeth se curer les dents;

∎ they picked the bones clean ils n'ont rien laissé sur les os;

∎ she picked a hole in her jumper elle a fait un trou à son pull en tirant sur la laine

(e) (walk carefully)

∎ they picked their way along the narrow ridge ils avancèrent prudemment le long de la crête étroite;

∎ he picked his way through the crowd il se fraya un chemin à travers la foule

(f) (lock) crocheter

(g) (pluck → guitar string) pincer; (→ guitar) pincer les cordes de

(h) (idioms)

∎ to have a bone to pick with sb avoir un compte à régler avec qn;

∎ to pick sb's brains tirer parti de l'intelligence ou des connaissances de qn;

∎ can I pick your brains a minute? est-ce que je peux faire appel à tes connaissances une minute?;

∎ to pick a fight chercher la bagarre;

∎ to pick holes in sth (in argument, theory, book etc) trouver des failles dans qch;

∎ she's always picking holes (in everything) elle n'arrête pas de chercher la petite bête;

∎ to pick sb's pocket faire les poches à qn;

∎ to pick a quarrel with sb chercher noise ou querelle à qn

2 intransitive verb

(choose) choisir;

∎ to pick and choose (be fussy) faire le/la difficile, faire la fine bouche;

∎ I like to be able to pick and choose j'aime bien avoir le choix;

∎ with your qualifications you can pick and choose avec vos diplômes, toutes les portes vous sont ouvertes

3 noun

(a) (choice) choix m;

∎ take your pick faites votre choix, choisissez;

∎ you can have your pick of them vous pouvez choisir celui qui vous plaît;

∎ he could have his pick of any job he wanted il pourrait obtenir n'importe quel emploi;

∎ we had first pick nous avons été les premiers à choisir

(b) (best) meilleur(e) m,f;

∎ the pick of France's footballers/writers (one) le meilleur footballer/écrivain français; (several) les meilleurs footballers/écrivains français;

∎ familiar the pick of the bunch (people) le dessus du panier, le gratin; (things) ce qui se fait de mieux^□

(c) (tool) pic m, pioche f; (of miner) pic m à main; (of mason) smille f; (of climber) piolet m

(d) (plectrum) plectre m, médiator m

➲ pick at inseparable transitive verb

(a) (pull at → loose end) tirer sur; (→ flake of paint, scab) gratter

(b) (food) manger du bout des dents;

∎ he only picked at the fish il a à peine touché au poisson

(c) (criticize pettily) être sur le dos de

➲ pick off separable transitive verb

(a) (shoot) abattre;

∎ a marksman picked off the leaders one by one un tireur d'élite a abattu les meneurs un à un

(b) (remove → scab, paint) gratter; (→ flowers, leaves) enlever, ôter;

∎ pick those papers off the ground ramassez ces papiers qui sont par terre;

∎ to pick the meat off a bone décortiquer un os;

∎ she picked herself off the floor elle s'est relevée

➲ pick on inseparable transitive verb

(a) (victimize) harceler, s'en prendre à;

∎ pick on someone your own size! ne t'en prends pas à un plus petit que toi!

(b) (single out) choisir;

∎ why pick on today of all days? pourquoi choisir ce jour entre tous?

➲ pick out separable transitive verb

(a) (choose) choisir;

∎ he picked out the best peaches il a choisi les meilleures pêches

(b) (spot, identify → person in crowd) repérer; (→ person in photo) reconnaître; (→ person in identification parade) identifier; (→ landmark, object) distinguer;

∎ I tried to pick him out in the crowd j'ai essayé de le repérer dans la foule;

∎ she was easy to pick out in her orange coat elle était facilement reconnaissable ou facile à repérer avec son manteau orange

(c) (highlight, accentuate) rehausser;

∎ the stitching is picked out in bright green un vert vif fait ressortir les coutures

(d) (play)

∎ to pick out a tune on the piano retrouver un air au piano

➲ pick over inseparable transitive verb

(examine → fruit, vegetables etc) trier; (→ performance, evidence, details) décortiquer, analyser

➲ pick up

1 separable transitive verb

(a) (lift) prendre; (something from the ground) ramasser; (something that has fallen over) relever; Knitting (stitch) relever;

∎ pick up those books! ramassez ces livres!;

∎ to pick up the telephone décrocher le téléphone;

∎ to pick up a child (in one's arms) prendre un enfant dans ses bras; (after falling) relever un enfant;

∎ to pick oneself up (after falling) se relever; figurative (recover from crisis) se remettre;

∎ they left me to pick up the British bill or American tab ils m'ont laissé l'addition;

∎ figurative to pick up the pieces recoller les morceaux

(b) (collect → gen) passer prendre; (→ children from school, people from airport etc) aller chercher;

∎ I've got to pick up the children at four il faut que j'aille chercher les enfants à quatre heures;

∎ my father picked me up at the station mon père est venu me chercher à la gare;

∎ I have to pick up a parcel at the post office je dois passer prendre un colis à la poste;

∎ helicopters were sent to pick up the wounded on a envoyé des hélicoptères pour ramener les blessés;

∎ I never pick up hitchhikers je ne prends jamais d'auto-stoppeurs

(c) (acquire, come by → skill, information) apprendre; (→ reputation) gagner, acquérir; (→ prize) gagner, remporter;

∎ did you pick up any Greek during your stay? avez-vous appris un peu de grec pendant votre séjour?;

∎ to pick up bad habits prendre de mauvaises habitudes;

∎ I don't know where he's picking up these funny ideas from je ne sais pas où il va chercher ces idées bizarres;

∎ to pick up a parking ticket attraper un PV;

∎ our country picked up most of the medals notre pays a remporté la plupart des médailles

(d) familiar (buy cheaply)

∎ to pick up a bargain dénicher une bonne affaire;

∎ to pick sth up cheap acheter qch bon marché^□ ;

∎ I picked it up at the flea market je l'ai trouvé au marché aux puces^□

(e) (catch → illness, infection) attraper

(f) familiar (earn) se faire;

∎ you can pick up good money working on the rigs on peut se faire pas mal de fric en travaillant sur les plates-formes pétrolières

(g) familiar (arrest) pincer, agrafer

(h) familiar

∎ to pick sb up (sexual partner) lever qn;

∎ he picked her up in a bar il l'a levée dans un bar;

∎ he tried to pick her up il l'a draguée;

∎ to pick up a customer (of prostitute) racoler ou raccrocher un client

(i) (detect) détecter;

∎ he picked up the sound of a distant bell il perçut le son d'une cloche dans le lointain;

∎ the dogs picked up the scent again les chiens ont retrouvé la piste

(j) Radio & Television (receive) capter

(k) (notice) relever;

∎ the proofreaders pick up most of the mistakes les correcteurs repèrent ou relèvent la plupart des erreurs

(l) (criticize) reprendre;

∎ to pick sb up sharply reprendre qn vertement;

∎ nobody picked him up on his sexist comments personne n'a relevé ses remarques sexistes

(m) (resume) reprendre;

∎ we picked up the discussion where we'd left off nous avons repris la discussion là où nous l'avions laissée

(n) (return to) revenir sur, reprendre;

∎ I'd like to pick up a point you made earlier j'aimerais revenir sur une remarque que vous avez faite tout à l'heure

(o) (gather → speed, momentum) prendre;

∎ to pick up strength (person) reprendre des forces

(p) familiar (revive) remonter^□, requinquer;

∎ that will pick you up voilà qui vous remontera

2 intransitive verb

(a) (get better → sick person) se rétablir, se sentir mieux

(b) (improve → conditions, weather) s'améliorer; (→ business, trade) reprendre;

∎ the market is picking up after a slow start après avoir démarré doucement le marché commence à prendre;

∎ the game certainly picked up in the second half la partie s'est animée pendant la deuxième mi-temps

(c) (resume) reprendre;

∎ they picked up where they had left off (in conversation) ils ont repris la conversation là où ils l'avaient laissée; (in game) ils ont repris le jeu là où ils l'avaient laissé

(d) (notice)

∎ she didn't pick up on the criticism elle n'a pas relevé la critique

SUBJECT AREA: Recording

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He graduated from the Dover Academy (Delaware) in 1882 and was apprenticed in a machine-repair firm in Philadelphia and studied in evening classes at the Spring Garden Institute. In 1888 he took employment in a small Philadelphia machine shop owned by Andrew Scull, specializing in repair and bookbinding machinery. After travels in the western part of the US, in 1891 he became a partner in Scull \& Johnson, Manufacturing Machinists, and established a further company, the New Jersey Wire Stitching Machine Company. He bought out Andrew Scull's interest in October 1894 (the last instalment being paid in 1897) and became an independent general machinist. In 1896 he had perfected a spring motor for the Berliner flat-disc gramophone, and he started experimenting with a more direct method of recording in a spiral groove: that of cutting in wax. Co-operation with Berliner eventually led to the incorporation of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. The innumerable court cases stemming from the fact that so many patents for various elements in sound recording and reproduction were in very many hands were brought to an end in 1903 when Johnson was material in establishing cross-licencing agreements between Victor, Columbia Graphophone and Edison to create what is known as a patent pool. Early on, Johnson had a thorough experience in all matters concerning the development and manufacture of both gramophones and records. He made and patented many major contributions in all these fields, and his approach was very business-like in that the contribution to cost of each part or process was always a decisive factor in his designs. This attitude was material in his consulting work for the sister company, the Gramophone Company, in London before it set up its own factories in 1910. He had quickly learned the advantages of advertising and of providing customers with durable equipment and records. This motivation was so strong that Johnson set up a research programme for determining the cause of wear in records. It turned out to depend on groove profile, and from 1911 one particular profile was adhered to and processes for transforming the grooves of valuable earlier records were developed. Without precise measuring instruments, he used the durability as the determining factor. Johnson withdrew more and more to the role of manager, and the Victor Talking Machine Company gained such a position in the market that the US anti-trust legislation was used against it. However, a generation change in the Board of Directors and certain erroneous decisions as to product line started a decline, and in February 1926 Johnson withdrew on extended sick leave: these changes led to the eventual sale of Victor. However, Victor survived due to the advent of radio and the electrification of replay equipment and became a part of Radio Corporation of America. In retirement Johnson took up various activities in the arts and sciences and financially supported several projects; his private yacht was used in 1933 in work with the Smithsonian Institution on a deep-sea hydrographie and fauna-collecting expedition near Puerto Rico.

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SUBJECT AREA: Aerospace

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Charles Green lived in London at a time when gas mains were being installed to supply coal gas for the recently introduced gas lighting. He was interested in the exploits of balloonists but lacked the finance needed to construct a balloon and fill it with expensive hydrogen. He decided to experiment with coal gas, which was very much cheaper, albeit a little heavier, than hydrogen: a larger balloon would be needed to lift the same weight. Green made his first ascent on 19 July 1821 to celebrate the coronation of King George. His large balloon was prepared in Green Park, London, and filled from the gas main in Piccadilly. He made a spectacular ascent to 11,000 ft (3,350 m), thus proving the suitability of coal gas, which was readily available and cheap. Like many balloonists, Green was also a showman. He made ascents on horseback or with fireworks to attract spectators. He did, however, try out some new ideas, such as cemented fabric joints (instead of stitching) for a huge new balloon, the Royal Vauxhall. On its first flight, in September 1836, this impressive balloon carried Green plus eight passengers. On 7 November 1836 Green and two friends ascended from Vauxhall Gardens, London, to make a long-distance flight. They landed safely in the Duchy of Nassau, Germany, having covered a record 480 miles (772 km) in eighteen hours. To help control the height of the balloon on this flight, Green fitted a long, heavy rope which trailed on the ground. If the balloon started to rise, then more of the "trail rope" was lifted off the ground, resulting in an increase in the weight to be lifted and a reduction in the rate of ascent. This idea had been suggested earlier by Thomas Baldwin in 1785, but Green developed it and in 1840 proposed to use if for a flight across the Atlantic: he later abandoned this plan.

Charles Green made over five hundred ascents and died in bed at the age of 85, no small age for a balloonist.

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1) (Sewing): (pass of needle) Stich, der

2) (result of needle movement) (Knitting, Crocheting) Masche, die; (Sewing, Embroidery) Stich, der

3) (coll.): (piece of clothing)

4) (pain)

5) (coll.)

6) (Med.): (to sew up wound) Stich, der

- academic.ru/92124/stitch_on">stitch on

- stitch up

* * *

1) (a loop made in thread, wool etc by a needle in sewing or knitting: She sewed the hem with small, neat stitches; Bother! I've dropped a stitch.) der Stich, die Masche

2) (a type of stitch forming a particular pattern in sewing, knitting etc: The cloth was edged in blanket stitch; The jersey was knitted in stocking stitch.) der Stich

3) (a sharp pain in a person's side caused by eg running: I've got a stitch.) das Seitenstechen

- stitching

* * *

I. n

<pl -es>

1. (in sewing) Stich m; (in knitting, crocheting) Masche f

to cast on/off a \stitch eine Masche anschlagen/abketten

to drop a \stitch eine Masche fallen lassen

2. (method) Stichart f; (style) Stich m

blanket/cross \stitch Langetten-/Kreuzstich m

lazy daisy \stitch Millefleursstickerei f

satin \stitch (sewing) Raupenstich m; (embroidery) Plattstich m

3. (knitting pattern) Strickmuster nt

cable \stitch Zopfmuster nt

4. (for a wound) Stich m

her head wounds needed 5 \stitches ihre Kopfwunde musste mit 5 Stichen genäht werden

to have one's \stitches taken out die Fäden gezogen bekommen

5. ( fam: the smallest amount) Geringste(s) nt

I haven't got a \stitch to wear ich habe gar nichts anzuziehen

to not have a \stitch on splitterfasernackt sein

without a \stitch on splitter[faser]nackt

6. (pain) Seitenstechen nt kein pl

to get a \stitch Seitenstechen bekommen

to be in \stitches ( fig) sich akk schieflachen [o [halb] totlachen] fam

to have [or keep] sb in \stitches ( fig) jdn furchtbar zum Lachen bringen fam

▶ a \stitch in time saves nine ( prov) was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen prov

II. vi sticken; (sew) nähen

III. vt

1. (in sewing)

▪ to \stitch sth etw nähen

to \stitch a button onto sth einen Knopf an etw akk [an]nähen

to \stitch a hem einen Saum nähen

to \stitch a hole ein Loch stopfen

to \stitch a rip [or tear] einen Riss nähen [o DIAL flicken

2. (by doctor)

to \stitch a cut/wound eine Schnittwunde/Wunde nähen

3. (in books)

▪ to \stitch sth etw [zusammen]heften [o broschieren]

* * *

1. n

1) Stich m; (in knitting etc) Masche f; (= kind of stitch, in knitting etc) Muster nt; (in embroidery) Stichart f

2) (inf

3) (= pain) Seitenstiche pl

4)

2. vt (SEW, MED)

3. vi

* * *

stitch [stıtʃ]

A s

1. Nähen etc: Stich m:

a stitch in time saves nine (Sprichwort) Vorsorge ist besser als Nachsorge;

put a stitch ( oder stitches) in eine Wunde etc (ver)nähen;

the wound (he) needed eight stitches die Wunde (er) musste mit acht Stichen genäht werden

2. Stricken etc: Masche f:

drop a stitch eine Masche fallen lassen

3. Strick-, Häkel-, Strickart f, Stich(art) m(f)

4. umg without a stitch on splitternackt;

he hadn’t got a stitch on er war splitternackt;

he hasn’t got a stitch to his back er hat kein (ganzes) Hemd mehr auf dem Leib

5. a) Stich m, Stechen n (Schmerz):

be in stitches sich kaputtlachen;

that had me in stitches ich lachte mich halb tot darüber

b) auch stitch in the side Seitenstechen n

6. Buchbinderei: Heftung f

B v/t

1. nähen, steppen, (be)sticken:

stitch a wound eine Wunde nähen

2. stitch on(to) annähen (an akk);

a) zusammen-, vernähen ( auch MED), (zusammen)flicken,

b) fig umg etwas unter Dach und Fach bringen,

c) fig umg jemanden fertigmachen

3. ein Buch etc (zusammen)heften, broschieren

C v/i

1. nähen

2. sticken

3. heften

* * *

1) (Sewing): (pass of needle) Stich, der

2) (result of needle movement) (Knitting, Crocheting) Masche, die; (Sewing, Embroidery) Stich, der

3) (coll.): (piece of clothing)

4) (pain)

5) (coll.)

6) (Med.): (to sew up wound) Stich, der

- stitch on

- stitch up

* * *

= Masche -n (Strick-) f.

Nadelstich m.

Stich -e (Näh-) m.

Stich -e (Schmerz) m. v.

absteppen v.

nähen v.

unpick vtr

1 ( undo) défaire [stitching, hem] ;

2 ( sort out) démêler [truth, facts] (from de).

SUBJECT AREA: Steam and internal combustion engines

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Corliss's father was a physician and surgeon. The son was educated at Greenwich, New York, but while he showed an aptitude for mathematics and mechanics he first of all became a storekeeper and then clerk, bookkeeper, salesperson and official measurer and inspector of the cloth produced at W.Mowbray \& Son. He went to the Castleton Academy, Vermont, for three years and at the age of 21 returned to a store of his own in Greenwich. Complaints about stitching in the boots he sold led him to patent a sewing machine. He approached Fairbanks, Bancroft \& Co., Providence, Rhode Island, machine and steam engine builders, about producing his machine, but they agreed to take him on as a draughtsman providing he abandoned it. Corliss moved to Providence with his family and soon revolutionized the design and construction of steam engines. Although he started working out ideas for his engine in 1846 and completed one in 1848 for the Providence Dyeing, Bleaching and Calendering Company, it was not until March 1849 that he obtained a patent. By that time he had joined John Barstow and E.J.Nightingale to form a new company, Corliss Nightingale \& Co., to build his design of steam-engines. He used paired valves, two inlet and two exhaust, placed on opposite sides of the cylinder, which gave good thermal properties in the flow of steam. His wrist-plate operating mechanism gave quick opening and his trip mechanism allowed the governor to regulate the closure of the inlet valve, giving maximum expansion for any load. It has been claimed that Corliss should rank equally with James Watt in the development of the steam-engine. The new company bought land in Providence for a factory which was completed in 1856 when the Corliss Engine Company was incorporated. Corliss directed the business activities as well as technical improvements. He took out further patents modifying his valve gear in 1851, 1852, 1859, 1867, 1875, 1880. The business grew until well over 1,000 workers were employed. The cylindrical oscillating valve normally associated with the Corliss engine did not make its appearance until 1850 and was included in the 1859 patent. The impressive beam engine designed for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition by E. Reynolds was the product of Corliss's works. Corliss also patented gear-cutting machines, boilers, condensing apparatus and a pumping engine for waterworks. While having little interest in politics, he represented North Providence in the General Assembly of Rhode Island between 1868 and 1870.

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