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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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badminton
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Modern game for two or four players based upon the ancient pastime of using a taut leather racket (the battledore) to strike and keep in the air a light feathered object (the shuttlecock). It derives its name from the 1860s, when it was played at *Badminton House. By the mid-1870s it was popular with the British in India, and as early as 1878 there was a Badminton Club in New York (the membership consisting of men and 'good-looking' single girls). The game was developing in the same decade as lawn *tennis, for which it was in a sense an indoor alternative. The Badminton Association was formed in England in 1893 and from 1900 held annually what became known as the *All-England Championship. The international team championships, held every three years, are the Thomas Cup for men (held since 1949) and the Uber Cup for women (since 1957).
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