Karaoke changes track / Cozy booths gain popularity among singing fans ２

　Karaoke changes track １（http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Y34/20120322/1332379483）の続きです。

　These solo customers say they come alone "to relieve stress," or "to secretly get better at singing."
　Karaoke booths--often called a "karaoke box" in Japanese as each unit is a private, partitioned room--first appeared in 1985 and became immensely popular in the 1990s. At the time, these karaoke complexes gained a negative reputation as a place for young people to go on drinking sprees or hang out after missing the last train.
　Many rooms smell of smoke, and it is often possible to hear noises from neighboring rooms.
　Currently, an estimated 46.5 million people visit karaoke booths at least once a year, according to the All-Japan Karaoke Industrialist Association. The figure has decreased from 58.9 million in fiscal 1994.
　Since then, the environment in karaoke booths has improved. Rooms are now soundproofed and neatly furnished. These efforts have helped broaden the customer base. Now, karaoke is enjoyed by not only young people, but people of all ages.
　The average person spends about 1,900 yen per visit, including fees for drinks and food, and stays for about 2-1/2 hours.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/T120307005860.htm

　次に，spreeという語です。spreeは「ばか騒ぎ，ふざけ，飲み騒ぎ，ふけること，盛んな活動」などの意味があります（『リーダーズ英和辞典』研究社）。spreeの例文を，『ランダムハウス英和辞典』（小学館）より拾います。

be on the spree「浮かれ騒いでいる」
We are having a spree tonight.「今晩はどんちゃん騒ぎをやるつもりだ」
a spending spree「金に糸目をつけずに使うこと」
a crime spree「犯罪のやり放題」
an unprecedented building spree「前例のない建築ブーム」
go on a scoring spree「立て続けに得点を重ねる」

　以上の例を見ると，spreeという語は比較的幅広く使えることがわかります。ODEを確認すると，a spell or sustained period of unrestrained activity of a particular kindとあります。何にも抑制を受けずに一定期間１つの活動をすることが根っこにあるようです。ここでのspellの用法も面白いですね。spellには，「綴る」ということからperiodの意味があるのです。用例を『ジーニアス英和大辞典』（大修館書店）より，引用します。

We have had a long spell of hot water.
a spell of coughing
I took a spell at the wheel.

　どれも「一時的な期間」といったニュンアンスが含まれていることがわかります。このようなspellの用法も同時におさえておきたいものですね。