[campboy]

Notwithstanding the dictionary definition, I do not believe it is standard usage for "curtailing" to mean simply "speeding up" unless there is a specific scheduled time which has been reduced.

In any case the dictionary gives several variants on "curtail", only one of which can even be interpreted to mean what you want it to mean. There is at least a strong argument that one of the others was intended.

[barmar]

So what do people think the Lawmakers' intent was when they wrote the curtailment clause? The first sentence of the law covers the player clearly claiming a certain number of tricks, the second clause of the second sentence addresses the player showing his cards. Presumably the curtailment clause is targeted towards other ways that players might claim. For instance, if the opponent goes into the tank trying to find a discard from a hand that's become irrelevant, you might say something like "It doesn't matter" (perhaps his tank lets you know that your squeeze worked).

Or maybe it's referring to a conditional claim. You might say, "I'm going to take the finesse; if it works I get 10 tricks, otherwise I get 9." That doesn't fit the first sentence, since it doesn't claim a specific number of tricks, but it does curtail play.

[bluejak]

If someone says "There is no point continuing play" then they have suggested play be curtailed and that is a claim. Curtail means stopping the play.

[aguahombre]

bluejak, on Jun 18 2010, 10:39 AM, said:

Curtail means stopping the play.

Or the back end of Josh's cat.

[bluejak]

If you are going to be literal, cur is a slang name for a rather decrepit dog, so I would have thought the rear end of a dog.