approach-forcing en · NOUN
Etymology
Coined by Ely Culbertson in the early 1930's to describe the bidding system that he invented.
Meanings
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(uncountable) A bidding system in which the responder does not support a partner's bid suit without 4 card support or 3 cards plus a Queen or higher, never passes an opening 1 bid while holding one and a half honor tricks or more, always responds with an indication of hand strength, and in which a 2 opener or jump bid is considered forcing to game. No Trump is used as a negative response when forced to bid.
[…] the approach-forcing system and other less widely known systems offer a helping hand to the beginner […]
1934, Literary Digest, volume 118, number 11, page 38:My acquaintance with trick values, "approach-forcing," the pitfalls of no-trump, the conventions and the various "systems" has come by word of mouth or by painful experience at the card table.
1937 March, Silas Bent, “Should we abolish bridge? Yessir!”, in The Rotarian, page 10: