Conversation so far:
What does it mean to set in Spades
When a team is set, it means they did not make their bid. To set an opponent is to keep them from making their bid.
What is an example of setting in Spade
If your opponents bid a total of 6, and they only take 5 tricks, then they've been set.

Question: how about the meaning of short
Self-contained rewrite: how about the meaning of short in spades