For all of those online Bridge Players, who also chat with others, a new and shortened digital language has been developed to spare the fingers from typing out the entire words. Instead, abbreviations have formed to relay the identical information in short form.

Below is a list, definitely not complete, of several terms. Please be aware of the fact that individual online members may have developed their own abbreviations and they have been adopted by an individual online group and may therefore not correspond to another online group.

Any and all printable contributions of online text-messaging or abbreviations from Online Bridgers will be welcomed and appreciated. We shall also attempt to keep this list updated as technology improves and the game of bridge becomes more virtual.

Whether or not the text or abbreviated form is uppercase or lowercase is really not significant. Some recipients may, however, feel shouted at when the sender uses all uppercase letters. Texting in bold letters, regarding of upper or lowercase is considered to be shouting.

Usenet Bridge Abbreviation - Updated 2011

Abbreviations		Translations
ABF		Australian Bridge Federation
AC		Appeals Committee
ACBL		American Contract Bridge League
AI		Authorised information
ArtAS		Artificial Adjusted Score
ArtAS		Artificial Adjusted Score
AssAS		Assigned Adjusted Score
ATF		Across-the-field (matchpointing)
ATTNA		Appeal to the National Authority
BBL		British Bridge League (now defunct)
BGB		Bridge Great Britain
BIT		Break in Tempo
BLML		Bridge-Laws Mailing List
BoD		Board of Directors (ACBL)
BoG		Board of Governors (ACBL)
BOOT		Bid-Out-Of-Turn
BTW		By the way
CD		Convention Disruption
C&E		Conduct and Ethics (often hearings)
CC		Convention card
CHO		Center Hand Opponent
CoC		Conditions of Contest
COOT		Call-Out-Of-Turn
CoP		Code of Practice
CPU		Concealed Partnership Understanding
CTD		Chief Tournament Director
DBF		Danish Bridge Federation
DIC		Director in Charge
DP		Disciplinary Penalty
EBL		European Bridge League
EBU		English Bridge Union
EHAA		Every Hand an Adventure (a system)
F2F		Face-to-Face (to distinguish from Online bridge)
FOLOOT		Faced Opening-Lead-Out-Of-Turn
FSF		Fourth Suit Forcing
GCC		General Convention Chart (ACBL)
HTH		Hope this Helps
HUM		Highly Unusual Method
IB		Insufficient Bid
IBLF		International Bridge Laws Forum
IIRC		If I remember correctly
IMHO		In my humble opinion
LA		Logical Alternative
L&EC		Laws & Ethics Committee (English, Welsh or Scottish)
LHO		Left Hand Opponent
Lnn		Law Number nn
LOL		Little Old Lady (may be of either sex)
LOOT		Lead-Out-Of-Turn
MB		Misbid
ME		Misexplanation
MI		Misinformation
MPC		Major Penalty Card
mPC		Minor Penalty Card
MSC		Master Solvers' Club (The Bridge World)
NA		National Authority
NABC		ACBL North American Bridge Championships
NBB		Nederlandse Bridge Bond (Dutch Bridge League)
NBO		National Bridge Organisation
NCBO		National Contract Bridge Organisation
NG		Newsgroup
NIBU		Northern Ireland Bridge Union
NO		Non-Offender
NOs		Non-Offenders
NOS		Non-Offending Side
NP		No Problem
OBOOT		Opening-Bid-Out-Of-Turn
OKB		OKBridge
OLB		Online Bridge (to distinguish from Face-to-face bridge)
OLOOT		Opening-Lead-Out-Of-Turn
OOT		Out-Of-Turn
Os		Offenders
OS		Offending Side
OTOH		On the other hand
pd		Partner
PLOOT		Play-Out-Of-Turn
POOT		Pass/Play-Out-Of-Turn
PH		Passed Hand
PP		Procedural Penalty
RA		Regulating Authority
RGB		rec.games.bridge (newsgroup)
RGBO		rec.games.bridge.okbridge (newsgroup)
RHO		Right Hand Opponent
RLB		Real Life Bridge (to distinguish from Online bridge)
RoC		Rule of Coincidence
RotG		Rub-of-the-Green (meaning to be lucky, Irish luck)
RoW		Rest of World (apart from North America)
RTFLB		Read the fabulous Law book
SBU		Scottish Bridge Union
SO		Sponsoring Organisation
TBW		The Bridge World Magazine
TD		Tournament Director
TFLB		The fabulous Law book
UI		Unauthorised Information
UPH		Un-Passed Hand
WBF		World Bridge Federation
WBFLC		WBF Laws Committee
WBU		Welsh Bridge Union
WTP		What's the problem
ZO		Zonal Organisation
ZT		Zero Tolerance (for unacceptable behaviour)

Hand Diagrams:
3m		3 Clubs or 3 Diamonds (Minor suits)
3M		3 Hearts or 3 Spades (Major suits)
..3H		3 Hearts after a hesitation, etc.
3H!		3H Alerted, etc.
Cards and Bids:
H3		A card (for example, the 3 of Hearts, etc.)
3H		A bid (for example 3 Hearts, etc.)

The Coded Language of the Keyboard

The coded language of the keyboard is not a mystery, since most of these signs are self-explanatory. Their number is increasing and any contributions will be greatly appreciated. The attempt has been made to provide the most accurate explanation, or translation, but such online symbols change with the times. We hope that the visitor finds them interesting, innovative, and creative.

Signs - Symbols - Texting - Steno
:-)		Smiling, agreeing, compatible
:-D		Laughing
|-)		Ho, ho; he-haw; tiny giggle
|-D		Same as above, only louder
:-]		Smiling blockhead, dolt
:->		Hey, dude; friendly greeting
:-(		Sad, unhappy, boo hoo
:(		Sad only
:-<		Truly sad or unhappy
:-c		Very sad and unhappy
:-C		Saddest and most unhappy
&-|		Teary-eyed, tearful
:'		To cry, crying, shedding tears
:'-(		Crying and sad at the same time
:-|		Grim, dismal, gloomy
:[		Truly down, stressed out
:-[		Pouting, sulking
:'-)		Crying, shedding tears of joy and happiness
'-)		Winking or just kidding
;->		Evil or, more mildly, devilish winking
;-)		Very happy with a little tear; teary-eyed from happiness. Also winking or just kidding
\~/		My glass is full
:*)		Clowning, foolery
:-T		The attempt to keep a straight face, to remain poker-faced
:^D		Wonderful, marvelous, great, I like it!
8-]		Amazement, sort of wow, man! great!
^		A thumbs up. Well done.
^5		High Five
;]		Gleep, or a 'small-time theft'. Also may mean a friendly person wishing to befriend you
>:-<		Angry, mad, enraged, livid
:-||		Angry, truly angry, doubly angry
:-@		Screaming, screaming mad, angriest
:-r		Action of sticking the tongue out
:-,		Smirk, grinning action
:~/		To be confused, mixed up
%-)		Tired, brain-dead, blonde-moment
:-6		Tired, exhausted, brain-dead
(:|		Academic, egghead, intellectual
|-O		Yawning, falling asleep
(::()::)		Bandaid, or the offered intention of assisting or helping
">		What? As in incredulous
:@		What? As in wassup?
:Q		What? As in seriously, what's up?
:-o		oh .... that. As in being surprised
:O		Being shocked, or in a state of shock
8-|		With eyes wide open with shock or surprise
:-/		Skeptical, non-believeing
:-C		Totally unbelieving, utterly non-convincing
|-{		Charlies Brown's Good Grief!!
:-*		Oops, as in sorry
\-o		State of being bored, not interested
][		Feeling separate, not together
] [		Totally apart, completely separated
) (		Completely separated, not on the same wave-length
{}		Face to face, person to person
()		Feeling together, being in sync and harmony