Playing American

[Mag]

In Sweden, when you play badminton with 2 players against 1, the lonely guy is called "the american" (amerikanare in Swedish)... In other words, if 3 people meet up in the gym, they can decide to play "american".

Nobody in my club can explain why or where the term comes from, but apparently it has been used here at least since the 50's... My guess it that is some kind of pun that today has lost its original meaning. But on the other hand, considering that USA was quite a big badminton nation in the 50's it COULD actually have something to do with some special training tecnhique or something...

Is there possiby something similar in other languages?

[Valentino]

i havent heard of that, only in soccer we had a game called american, u have to play alone against everyone else.

[perhaps]

never heard the term... perhaps it has to do with the notion that Americans are rugged individualists...very independent. many other cultures stress the group more than individual rights or freedoms.

[SystemicAnomaly]

in U.S. tennis we call this playing Australian. this also could fit into the notion of the rugged individualist.

[Lil]

OR...from a historical perspective, America was going through an isolationist period after wwI, when it didn't want to be involved in any european wars--so that might be part of it. just americans wanting to be left out of any quibbling in europe.

[event]

In Sweden, when you play badminton with 2 players against 1, the lonely guy is called "the american" (amerikanare in Swedish)... In other words, if 3 people meet up in the gym, they can decide to play "american".

Nobody in my club can explain why or where the term comes from, but apparently it has been used here at least since the 50's... My guess it that is some kind of pun that today has lost its original meaning. But on the other hand, considering that USA was quite a big badminton nation in the 50's it COULD actually have something to do with some special training tecnhique or something...

Is there possiby something similar in other languages?

Can you imagine the average American playing badminton against 2 Swedes?

I don't know if it is related or not but in basketball in Canada, we had a game for 3 people called American 21 which combined the free throw shooting of the traditional game of 21 with some 1 on 2 play. I have played ball with Americans, of course, but I don't remember playing this game with any of them. It wouldn't surprise me if such a term were used only outside of the U.S. but that doesn't help account for the word origin. Googling this game produced only a German website which seemed to describe the game the way I know it or close to it.

[cooler]

Can you imagine the average American playing badminton against 2 Swedes?

I don't know if it is related or not but in basketball in Canada, we had a game for 3 people called American 21 which combined the free throw shooting of the traditional game of 21 with some 1 on 2 play. I have played ball with Americans, of course, but I don't remember playing this game with any of them. It wouldn't surprise me if such a term were used only outside of the U.S. but that doesn't help account for the word origin. Googling this game produced only a German website which seemed to describe the game the way I know it or close to it.


Maybe because US was quite dominating in badminton back in the 50's so 2 against one (amercian) is fair game??

[event]

Maybe because US was quite dominating in badminton back in the 50's so 2 against one (amercian) is fair game??

On what would you base the claim that the US dominated badminton? I seem to remember some Uber Cup titles way back when but they never won the Thomas Cup and I don't remember any All England titles or anything. Or do you mean simply that the U.S. could have dominated Sweden at that time? I'm lost.

[cooler]

On what would you base the claim that the US dominated badminton? I seem to remember some Uber Cup titles way back when but they never won the Thomas Cup and I don't remember any All England titles or anything. Or do you mean simply that the U.S. could have dominated Sweden at that time? I'm lost.


here u go....

The year 1949 brought the United States its first world champions as David Freeman of Pasadena, California, won men’s singles at the prestigious All-England Championships (considered the unofficial world championships until 1977 when World Championships were instituted). Americans Clinton and Patsy Stevens won the All-England mixed doubles title the same year.

The United States’ international success continued. Between 1949 and 1967, the United States won 23 world individual championships (one men’s singles, 12 women’s singles, one men’s doubles, eight women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles) and three women’s world team championships. The U.S. men’s team was also world runner-up during this period. Sports Illustrated acknowledged the United States’ badminton success by featuring top male player Joe Alston on the cover of its March 7, 1955 issue.

The number of U.S. clubs declined slightly in the 1970s; however, high school and collegiate play expanded.

[levis]

Very interesting read...

[Loh]

In Singapore, we have Sadam Hussein in golf - one against two. :D

[cooler]

Very interesting read...
yes, it is sad to see US lost interest in regaining their past glory in badminton. Look at the America's Cup, US spends tens of million dollars each time to win that event. How many american follows this sport anyway. :rolleyes:

[PhoenixMateria]

I'm Canadian, but I lived in Austin, Texas for two years (separately), and I played badminton at a gym there.

The players were two English, a bunch of Asians, a bunch of Indians, an African-American who's into racketball, and one or two serious Americans who came over once in a while...:eek:

Needless to say, Aside from a black English who trained with pros (from whom I learned everything), the Asians simply owned the place...;)

[Neil Nicholls]

The meaning of "American" I've heard of is when you play doubles to find a single winner.
Each individual plays with different partners and the points score of the games is attributed to each player

e.g.
4 players, A, B, C, D play 4 games

A+B v C+D
A+C v B+D
A+D v B+C

if the scores were
A+B v C+D 15-10 15-8
A+C v B+D 6-15 0-15
A+D v B+C 15-13 15-12

the final scores would be
A 15+15+6+0+15+15 = 66
B 15+15+15+15+13+12 = 85
C 10+8+6+0+13+12 = 49
D 10+8+15+15+15+15 = 78

[event]

here u go....

The year 1949 brought the United States its first world champions as David Freeman of Pasadena, California, won men’s singles at the prestigious All-England Championships (considered the unofficial world championships until 1977 when World Championships were instituted). Americans Clinton and Patsy Stevens won the All-England mixed doubles title the same year.

The United States’ international success continued. Between 1949 and 1967, the United States won 23 world individual championships (one men’s singles, 12 women’s singles, one men’s doubles, eight women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles) and three women’s world team championships. The U.S. men’s team was also world runner-up during this period. Sports Illustrated acknowledged the United States’ badminton success by featuring top male player Joe Alston on the cover of its March 7, 1955 issue.

The number of U.S. clubs declined slightly in the 1970s; however, high school and collegiate play expanded.

Interesting stuff. Say, on the topic of the All England, does anyone know of a website that shows historical winners? I found one one time but can't for the life of me now.

[event]

Interesting stuff. Say, on the topic of the All England, does anyone know of a website that shows historical winners? I found one one time but can't for the life of me now.

Never mind. I found it, finally:

http://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/text.asp?section=00010001001900160001#XD

[tinkerbella122]

The meaning of "American" I've heard of is when you play doubles to find a single winner.
Each individual plays with different partners and the points score of the games is attributed to each player

e.g.
4 players, A, B, C, D play 4 games

A+B v C+D
A+C v B+D
A+D v B+C

if the scores were
A+B v C+D 15-10 15-8
A+C v B+D 6-15 0-15
A+D v B+C 15-13 15-12

the final scores would be
A 15+15+6+0+15+15 = 66
B 15+15+15+15+13+12 = 85
C 10+8+6+0+13+12 = 49
D 10+8+15+15+15+15 = 78


Interesting ... we had done something like that in my club not long ago ... didn't know what it was called then .