Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Is it a "stir bar" or "stir fish"..?

Is it a "stir bar" or "stir fish"..?

spinjector - 27-9-2022 at 05:40

Regarding the magnetically-coupled stirring device we all know & love, what do you call it?

I'm in the USA and I've only heard the term "stir bar" - until recently.

About three months ago I started watching the Youtube videos of "Thy Labs" (formerly Thyzoid Labs). I noted he calls it a "stir fish". He is German, and now I've noticed other Germans call it this too.

I had not heard this term before, and I've started to wonder what is the etymology behind it? Is it meant to be silly, or is it just one of those linguistic oddities that translate strangely?

[Edited on 2022-9-27 by spinjector]

Texium - 27-9-2022 at 05:52

Quote: Originally posted by spinjector

I had not heard this term before, and I've started to wonder what is the etiology behind it?

I assume you mean etymology unless you are implying that people who say “stir fish” suffer from some sort of mass hysteria.

I have no answer though, as I can’t recall seeing “stir fish” used before, by Germans or anyone else.

spinjector - 27-9-2022 at 07:22

Quote: Originally posted by Texium

I assume you mean etymology unless you are implying that people who say “stir fish” suffer from some sort of mass hysteria.

Omg that's embarrassing. Thank you for pointing it out. I fixed it. At least the first "sillobble" sounded the same.

Yes, Thyzoid Guy uses the term stir-fish regularly. And there's another I just watched recently from another Youtuber, a man with a distinctly proper & professorial tone, as if the video was recorded for a chemistry class.

[Edited on 2022-9-27 by spinjector]

Tsjerk - 27-9-2022 at 08:27

In Dutch it is a roervlo, which means stir flea.

Texium - 27-9-2022 at 08:40

Quote: Originally posted by Tsjerk

In Dutch it is a roervlo, which means stir flea.

In the US, we do sometimes refer to the smallest stir bars as fleas, but only the really tiny ones for 10-25 mL flasks.

ManyInterests - 27-9-2022 at 09:09

I use mostly olive shaped stir bars. When you're dealing with beakers on a 2 liter mantle (using 2 liter beakers) no other stirbar will work except those.

I sub to that channel as well. I didn't see that video. But regardless of what it is called, it does the same very important task in chemistry.

[Edited on 27-9-2022 by ManyInterests]

teodor - 27-9-2022 at 10:01

Quote: Originally posted by Tsjerk

In Dutch it is a roervlo, which means stir flea.

I can confirm with my observation, over 650rpm they are jumping here.

[Edited on 27-9-2022 by teodor]

DraconicAcid - 27-9-2022 at 10:29

Stir bars or stir beans- the smallest are stir fleas.

And I also use "stir bar" and "stirring bar" interchangeably (meaning, I seldom pay attention to what I'm actually saying to my students).

[Edited on 28-9-2022 by DraconicAcid]

j_sum1 - 27-9-2022 at 16:28

I think it will always be a stir bar in my world. But fish and flea are kind of descriptive.

Bedlasky - 27-9-2022 at 16:33

Czech term for stir bar can be translated as stirrer. But I usually use stir bar in english.

arkoma - 27-9-2022 at 20:33

As I recall, I've heard them called "stir fish" by some of the German speaking members next door @ thevespiary. Have also heard the jackets of condensers referred to as "mantles". No such thing as a "direct, 100%" translation from one language to another.

karlos³ - 28-9-2022 at 18:32

Stir bars are obviously aquatic animals, thats why we call them stir fishes here.
I wonder how many ten- or hundred thousands of specimen the population in our sewer systems already counts...

dome13 - 29-9-2022 at 09:31

In hungarian it is called "keverőbot", which exactly means "stir rod" (if I translate literally, maybe "stir stick"). There is another word for it, "keverőbaba" and it is literally "stir baby". I don't really get it where it came around

teodor - 29-9-2022 at 10:11

Well, in both Russian and Ukrainian it is something which literally translated as "magnetic anchor".

But the point that when I started to study chemistry seriously I already left my native country, so I have no idea how many chemical things are named in Russian or Ukrainian. So, I am also surprised. I would translate "magnetic stir bar" to Russian literally and then people will start to say me how to name it properly. Actually, this is one of the reasons why I don't participate in any Russian chemical forum ...

[Edited on 29-9-2022 by teodor]

[Edited on 29-9-2022 by teodor]