Glossary of Terms
Many of the following terms are not universally recognized, but are growing in popularity. You may not learn to PLAY like a bridgeplayer here, but you'll learn to TALK like one ! :))
Beaver – Redouble.
(see also Recharge, Rewind, ).
An expression borrowed from Backgammon.
When the redouble is for takeout, it is called an
"SOS" Beaver.
When the redouble is for
penalty, it may be one of Four types:
(a) The Doubt Beaver – We have bid a shaky contract (often
3NT) which is doubled.
A redouble here expresses
interest in running out (usually to a minor), if
partner is not thoroughly confident of making.
(b) The Bluff Beaver – At MatchPoints, a redouble of a contract
you know is going for a telephone number, in the
hope that an opponent (who may have passed slowly,
denoting reluctance to defend) will run.
(c) The InTurn Beaver – A straight penalty redouble of a
contract that you are very confident of making.
(d) The OutTurn Beaver – A cross between the InTurn and
Bluff redoubles, the OutTurn suggests that you are
not 100% sure of making, but want to give the opponents
one more chance to run (where they'll be slaughtered).
Cardrack – As a verb: to win at rubber bridge because of being dealt very good cards.
– As a noun: an individual who tends to hold very good cards (especially at rubber bridge).
Case – The sole remaining card in a suit, as in "YOU had the 13-th Heart !? I thought HE had the case Heart !" A poker term.
Compression – An error which results in "compressing" a healthy number of easy tricks down to a much lower number of tricks actually taken.
Dead – Small, irrelevant cards, "Puppies". Also, any inaccessible (i.e., entryless) hand.
Float – To pass out, as in "1♠-Float". (See also Swish)
Forcing Defence – Forcing declarer to ruff, thereby shortening hir trumps. (See also Pump and Tap)
Grosvenor Gambit – An opportunity to MAKE an unmakeable contract presented by the defence and declined by an overly suspicious Declarer.
Hook – Finesse. Used as a verb or a noun.
Locked – Stranded in one hand. "Dummy locked" and "board locked" mean stranded on Dummy. "Hand locked" means Declarer is trapped in hir hand.
Pump – To force declarer to ruff, shortening hir trump length. (See also Tap and Forcing Defence)
Puppies – Small, insignifant cards.
Recharge – Redouble.
Rewind – Redouble.
Sominex Coup – Playing so slow that the opponents fall asleep.
Swish – To pass out, as in "The auction went 1♦-swish."
Tap – To force declarer to ruff, shortening hir trump length. (See also Forcing defence and Pump)
2HARD – 2 Honours Are Rarely Doubleton. The Rainbow expression for the Principle of Restricted Choice.
Brough Rule – "3♠ is more pre-emptive than 4♠."
Cripple Creek Coup – Passing with a weakish hand and a massive fit for Partner's suit, sacrificing only if and when the opponents are able to find game.
Doses – "Desperate ?", Be Optimistic. "Safe ?", Be Extremely Suspicious.
Drool – David's Rule Of Offside Length. If the opponents are silent throughout in our part score or, perhaps, game contract, play the opponent behind our length for length in that suit.
FFSS – First Forces, Second Suggests. After making a 2-over-1 response, any 3-level raise of Opener's first bid suit (e.g., 1♠:2♣:any:3♠) is a game force in SAYC/SARC; any raise of Opener's second bid suit (e.g., 1♠:2♣:2♥:3♥) invites game.
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Hemmingway Pre-Empt – A pre-empt so light that its only purpose would seem to be to keep Partner out of the auction. "Ask not for whom Partner pre-empts; s/he pre-empts THEE !" :)
Inverted Hesitations – Pausing when you have nothing to think about, so as to "cover your tracks" if the day should ever come when you do ! :) A good way to meet Directors and people on Appeals Committees. :) There are better ways to make friends, though. :)
Kenny Coup – Showing strength in order to dissuade the opponents from doubling or bidding over our ultimate contract.
Killdeer Coup – Bidding something less than our intended contract so as to appear reluctant when we do bid our final contract so that the opponents may not be inclined to bid on.
LENT – Law Of Enthusiastic NoTrumps. If the opponents "climb all over themselves" to bid NoTrump after we overcall, we try to surprise them by leading some suit Other than the one we bid.
LOTUS – The tendency to use 2-suited overcalls such as Michaels and the Unusual 2NT, ONLY when the Lower ranked suit is at least as strong as the higher ranked suit. LOTUS = "Lower Of Two Usually Stronger".
Maxi-Flex – Maximum Flexibility: the tendency, when faced with 2 or more equally attractive choices, to prefer the CHEAPER/CHEAPEST such option, so as to leave Partner the most room for correction as necessary.
moogal – A yarborough, useless or "cleavis" hand.
OWES – Odd Weak, Even Stronger. Pre-empts in the odd (1st and 3rd) seats tend to be weaker than the corresponding even (2nd and 4th) seats.
ROLANDS – Rule Of Length AND Strength. Some will add their length to their number of "top 3" honours and pre-empt to that level. So with ♠KQxxxx (6 + 2) they will open at the 8-trick level of 2♠. With ♠KJ109xx (6 + 1) they would pass.
T.I.T. Texas Idiot Transfer. Bidding over their game (e.g., 1♥-P-4♥-4♠) as a reflex action.
These are local expressions which may be unfamiliar to non-Manitobans.
52 Pickup – Any 5-3-3-2 type hand. A "Spade-Diamond Pickup", then, would be 5-3-2-3, the "Spade-Diamond" clarifying the 5- and 2-card suits respectively.
Camel – Any 4-4-3-2 type, the two four-carders being the "humps" of the camel. A pointed camel, then, would have 4-4 in the pointed suits (i.e., Diamonds and Spades), 3-2 in the others.
Carted – Beaten badly, as in "We got carted away ... "
Cleavis – Useless. Often used to describe a yarborough.
COUP Dummy – A profoundly disappointing dummy.
COUP = "Change Of Underwear, Please"
CounterGrease – A reversal of fortune from bad to good.
Alternatively, a safety play.
(see also COUNTERSLIME)
CounterSlime – A reversal of fortune from bad to good.
Alternatively, a safety play.
(see also COUNTERGREASE)
Dealt-In – Given. Easy. 10 "dealt-in" tricks would be 10 top tricks.
Express – Any 4-3-3-3 type distribution. "Express Clubs" would refer to a 3-3-3-4 hand. "Riding the Diamond Express" would refer to a 3-3-4-3 distribution.
Gamble Gambit – Losing one's mind early in a match in order to lull the opponents into a false sense of security. Named after Bill Gamble, a Winnipeg legend (now living in Vancouver).
Grease – Luck. (See also SLIME)
GreaseBall – A very lucky individual. (See also GREASEPIT)
GreasePit – A very lucky individual. (See also GREASEBALL)
Narvy Dummy – A dummy tabled that is at least two full Aces stronger than could be expected. True Narvy dummies have PASSed throughout the auction.
NTR – No Thought Required. An easy bid or play.
POS – Piece of ... Sewage. A very bad hand.
ROFA – Polite interpretation: Regardless OF Anything.
Slime – Luck. (See also GREASE)
Stripper – AKQ of a suit, as in "I have stripper-5th" when we hold AKQxx.
Surprise – Abusing a convention, especially when the
bidder's hand is most likely to be dummy.
While a normal Flannery 2♦ opening shows
4 Spades and 5 Hearts (11-15 HCPs), for
example, a Surprise Flannery 2♦ might have
5-6 in the majors.
The name derives from the inevitable look on Declarer's face.
Unlike other conventional understandings,
Surprise bids are NOT discussed with partner
beforehand because, well, that would ruin
the surprise !
| B = I am Back. |
| Brb = I will Be Right Back. |
| Btw = By The Way. |
| F2F = Face-To-Face bridge (as opposed to online play). |
| Fwiw = For What It's Worth. |
| Glp = Good Luck, Partner. |
| Imho = In My Humble Opinion. |
| Lol = Laugh(ing) Out Loud (previously "Little Old Lady"). |
| Ntr = No Thought Required. |
| Tup = Thank You, Partner. |
| Typ = Thank You, Partner. |
| Iirc = If I Recall Correctly. |
| WTP ? = What's The Problem ? |
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