5 familiar names you probably didn't know are also towns
Yes, a sandwich is two slices of bread with something in between. But did you know that the word actually goes back to a town in Britain and a man who was too busy to sit down to eat?
Sandwich
In the 18th century, dining followed rigid traditions that included a seating order, table etiquette and idle conversation. But even then, some people were terribly busy - like the 4th Earl of Sandwich from the English town of the same name. He is said to have invented what might be the world’s first fast food snack, perhaps because he was too busy playing cards.
Rugby
Legend has it that William Webb Ellis, a student at Rugby School in the town of Rugby in central England, invented the sport. Supposedly, he grabbed the ball, ran with it and put it squarely into the other team's goal during a school football match in 1823. It was a breach of rules - but an entirely new game was born.
Badminton
This racket sport was not invented in England, but it became popular in Europe after a British colonial officer returned from India in 1872 with the game "Poona," which was highly popular on his country estate in Badminton. The Badminton Association of England officially launched the sport in 1893.
Limerick
Limerick five-line poetry was presumably invented in the 18th century in the town of the same name, in southwestern Ireland. The members of a local literature circle wrote poetry about everything under the sun: love, politics and their last drinking spree, always with a humorous slant, a distinct meter and rhyme scheme. Limericks are so catchy that they've made their way into many languages.
Worcestershire
Outside of Britain, few people can pronounce the name of this condiment properly, so it can't be the name that made Worcestershire sauce popular. John Lea and William Perrins, both chemists in the English city of Worcester, county of Worcestershire, came up with the recipe in 1835. The mixture soon became an international - and much copied - hit.