Bridge Glossary

Namyats

an opening bid of four clubs or four diamonds to show, respectively, a strong four-heart or four-spade opening.

National

the highest tournament level within one country or geographical unit.

National Laws Commission

a committee that administers the laws in North America.

Natural

(1) (of a call) indicating a desire to play in the named (or, if not a bid, in the last-named) strain without offering information relevant to a specific different strain;

(2) (of a bidding system) consisting largely or entirely of agreements that most actions, or most early-in-the-auction actions, are natural.

Negative

denying strength or interest in a higher-level contract.

Negative double

a takeout or informatory double of an overcall.

Negative free bid

a nonforcing suit bid by responder over an intervening overcall.

Negative inference

a deduction made from the absence of an occurrence.

Negative response

a bid denying certain values.

Negative slam double

in a competitive auction, the double of a slam to deny defensive tricks.

Neither side vulnerable

neither side having scored a game.

Neutral lead

a lead that neither threatens to develop tricks nor risks the loss of tricks.

New England Relay

a variant of the Howell movement. [also called Three-Quarter Movement]

New minor forcing

a form of Checkback Stayman.

New suit

a suit not previously bid.

-ninth

within or heading a nine-card holding. [Usage: jack-ninth = nine cards headed by the jack = Jxxxxxxxx.]

No bid

an improper form of "pass."

No call

an improper form of "pass" and a misnomer as well, for each player must call at his or her turn, even if that call is a pass.

Nonforcing

allowing partner to pass under the partnership understanding.

Nonforcing Stayman

Stayman in which a rebid of two of a major by the two-club bidder is not forcing (originally defined as invitational, now sometimes played as weak).

Nonserious

(usually as an adjective for slam-try) mild.

Nonvulnerable

not vulnerable.

North

one of the compass points; one of the four players (usually the dummy) in the standard diagram.

North-South

one of the competing partnerships; the declaring side in the standard diagram.

Not through the Iron Duke

a verbal expression, dating from whist, meaning a player is covering one card with a higher one, the implication being that an opponent cannot get his card through without a higher one being played (usually applied to finessing positions).

Not vulnerable

not having scored one game.

Notrump

the highest-ranking strain in the bidding, in which the play proceeds with no trump suit.

Notrump distribution

balanced distribution.

Novice

inexperienced player.

Nuisance bid

action aimed at disrupting the opponents' auction.

Number

(1) (slang) telephone number;

(2) (slang) any penalty representing a very poor result.

Number one

(slang) the ace.