Brewer's: Badminton

is properly a “copus cup,” made of claret spiced and sweetened, a favourite with the Duke of Beaufort of Badminton. As the duke used to be a great patron of the prize ring, Badminton was used as equivalent to claret as the synonym of blood.

Also a game similar to lawn tennis only played with shuttlecocks instead of balls.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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