THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ( DEDICATED TO THE FOLLY OF LITIGATION )

• Kangaroo court :  a custom and practice adopted and revered by bridge club disciplinary committees
• Justice : an elusive outcome when disciplinary hearings take place
• Internal appeal : a second stab at denying an accused member any semblance of justice
• Mediation : an extremely sensible option in resolving a dispute but one which is viewed by committees with suspicion and mistrust
• Hands down : an offer to end a dispute which proves costly to both parties.  Meanwhile the lawyers get extremely well paid for stringing along their clients with false hopes of success
• Victory : a hollow celebration of success when in reality it is Pyrrhic in nature , given the colossal pain , financial loss and suffering incurred in a long and protracted legal battle
• Obscene : a term used to describe the ridiculously large sums of money paid out to lawyers , who then advise their respective clients to make and accept a hands down offer
• Opportunity cost : the sensible , worthwhile and positive things which could have achieved if the money shelled out on legal fees had been spent more wisely, such is the folly of pursuing litigation
• Look before you leap : a well known proverb which parties to a legal dispute have clearly (a) never heard of , or (b) chosen to ignore
• Flying bridgemate : an electronic scoring device which like a flying albatross is an omen of forthcoming misery and doom
• Foresight : it's what we wished we had in hindsight