[barmar]

Tramticket, on 2017-December-19, 09:56, said:

Yes, I agree that this a form of short-hand. I guess that I get frustrated when I get nothing more than the form of short-hand - even when I ask for an explanation. This is just me expressing one of my pet irritations I guess!

Shorthands like this are only intended to be used in announcements, like like "Transfer" and "Could be short". If you want more details, you ask for it. The alternative to these announcements is just ordinary "Alert", which would not be any more useful, and would probably just slow things down further. Instead of "Semi-forcing", "What kind of hand does it show?", you'd have "Alert", "Please Explain", "Semi-forcing", "What kind of hand does it show?".

As for the literal meaning of "semi-forcing", I don't really have a problem with it. It's obviously just short for "Forcing unless opener has a very specific type of hand." If you don't like this term, what would you suggest as an alternative? Remember, we're talking about an announcement, so it needs to be terse, not a full-blown explanation.

[Vampyr]

Tramticket, on 2017-December-19, 09:56, said:

Yes, I agree that this a form of short-hand. I guess that I get frustrated when I get nothing more than the form of short-hand - even when I ask for an explanation. This is just me expressing one of my pet irritations I guess!

Don't let it irritate you. "You alerted X. What does X show?" "Convention name" "Thanks. What does it show?" Or "what is it?" "Convention name" "thanks. What is it?" Just ask the same question again in the same tone of voice. Or just "I don't know what that means" Honestly it makes the situation much less irritating somehow.

EDIT somehow missed barmar's post.

[blackshoe]

Tramticket, on 2017-December-19, 05:54, said:

It matters because when LHO opens 1♥ and RHO responds 1NT, correctly alerted (in England), I might then ask LHO for an explanation of the bid. I contend that LHO’s explanation that the bid is a “Semi-forcing NT” is an inadequate explanation and the Blue Book discourages the use of convention names (see 3C). I expect my opponent to tell me what hand types are included in the response.

So would I, in the ACBL. I have, of course, had to prod them sometimes. Usually by quoting Temperance Brennan: "I don't know what that means". :-)