Bingo Lingo: The History Behind the Calls
Two fat ladies? Two little ducks? Four and seven? Clickety click? Even if you haven’t played bingo before, you’re bound to be familiar with the lingo. But where do some of the calls originate from? Well, some are historical references that probably seem slightly outdated in today’s era; while others are thought up simply on the shape of the number; but of course, the majority are based on rhymes. After learning the lingo, why not join the action online: https://bingo.paddypower.com/
Numbers 1-10
| Number | Call | Origin/meaning |
| 1 | Kelly’s Eye | Still unknown – possibly military slang, or a reference to Australian folk singer, Ned Kelly. Neither have anything to do with one eye |
| 2 | One Little Duck | Shape of the number; 2 resembles a duck |
| 3 | Cup of Tea | Rhyming; the British love a cuppa |
| 4 | Knock at the Door | Rhyming |
| 5 | Man Alive | Rhyming |
| 6 | Tom Mix | Rhyming, but named after the silent western film star |
| 7 | Lucky Seven | Traditionally considered a lucky number |
| 8 | Garden Gate | Rhyming |
| 9 | Doctor’s Orders | Number 9 was a laxative pill given out by doctors in World War 2 |
| 10 | -den | A reference to whoever is at 10 Downing Street – so currently 10 is Theresa’s Den |
Numbers 11-20
| 11 | Legs Eleven | Shape of the number; 11 resembles a pair of legs |
| 12 | One Dozen | Traditionally, there are 12 units to a dozen |
| 13 | Unlucky for Some | Traditionally considered an unlucky number |
| 14 | The Lawnmower | The original and early lawnmowers had a 14-inch blade |
| 15 | Rugby Team | Rhyming; there are 15 players in a rugby team |
| 16 | Sweet 16 | More recently considered a significant birthday |
| 17 | Dancing Queen | In reference to the lyrics of the ABBA Song |
| 18 | Coming of Age | Traditionally considered the age of maturity |
| 19 | Goodbye Teen | In reference to the final milestone, before entering your 20s |
| 20 | One Score | Score is an old word for 20 |
Numbers 21-30
| 21 | Key of the Door | Traditionally the age of majority |
| 22 | Two Little Ducks | See 2 |
| 23 | The Lord is my Shepherd | The first line of Psalm 23 in the Old Testament of the Bible |
| 24 | Two Dozen | See 12 |
| 25 | Duck & Dive | Rhyming |
| 26 | Pick and Mix | Rhyming; also known as ‘bed and breakfast’ due to the traditional cost of two shillings and sixpence |
| 27 | Duck & a Crutch | Shape of the number; 2 resembles a duck and 7 resembles a crutch |
| 28 | In a State | Rhyming |
| 29 | Rise and Shine | Rhyming |
| 30 | Dirty Gertie | Rhyming; Dirty Gertie from Bizerte was a popular song during World War 2 |
Numbers 31-40
| 31 | Get Up & Run | Rhyming |
| 32 | Buckle my Shoe | Rhyming |
| 33 | All the threes | Reference to the numbers; best called in an Irish accent |
| 34 | Ask for More | Rhyming |
| 35 | Jump & Jive | Rhyming; reference to a dance step |
| 36 | Three Dozen | See 12 |
| 37 | More than 11 | Rhyming |
| 38 | Christmas Cake | Rhyming |
| 39 | Steps | Reference to the Alfred Hitchcock film |
| 40 | Life begins | Reference to the common phrase ‘life begins at 40’ |
Numbers 41-50
| 41 | Life’s begun & Time for Fun | See 40 |
| 42 | Street in Manhattan | Reference to the film 42nd Street |
| 43 | Down on your Knees | Rhyming |
| 44 | Droopy Drawers | Rhyming |
| 45 | Halfway there | Reference to being halfway to 90 (the highest number called) |
| 46 | Up to Tricks | Rhyming |
| 47 | Four & Seven | Reference to the numbers |
| 48 | Four Dozen | See 12 |
| 49 | Rise & Shine | Rhyming |
| 50 | Bullseye | Reference to the points scored in darts |
Numbers 51-60
| 51 | Tweak of the Thumb | Rhyming |
| 52 | Deck of cards | Reference to the number of cards in a full deck |
| 53 | Here comes Herbie | In reference to number on the car in the film; players may respond “beep beep” |
| 54 | Man at the Door | Rhyming |
| 55 | All the Fives | Reference to the numbers |
| 56 | Shotts Bus | Reference to the former bus that went from Glasgow to Shotts |
| 57 | Heinz Varieties | Reference to the famous slogan of Heinz |
| 58 | Make them Wait | Rhyming |
| 59 | Brighton Line | Reference to The Importance of Being Earnest |
| 60 | Five Dozen | See 12 |
Numbers 61-70
| 61 | Baker’s bun | Rhyming |
| 62 | Tickety-boo | Rhyming |
| 63 | Tickle Me | Rhyming |
| 64 | The Beatles Number | Reference to The Beatle’s Song When I’m 64 |
| 65 | Retirement Age | Reference to the former mandatory age of retirement |
| 66 | Clickety Click | Rhyming |
| 67 | Stairway to Heaven | Rhyming |
| 68 | Pick a Mate | Rhyming |
| 69 | Anyway Up | Reference to the numbers |
| 70 | Three Score and 10 | See 20 |
Numbers 71-80
| 71 | Bang on the Drum | Rhyming |
| 72 | Six Dozen | See 12 |
| 73 | Queen B | Rhyming |
| 74 | Candy Store | Rhyming |
| 75 | Strive & Strive | Rhyming |
| 76 | Trombones | Reference to the marching band song Seventy Six Trombones |
| 77 | Two Little Crutches | Reference to the numbers |
| 78 | 39 More Steps | See 39 |
| 79 | One More Time | Rhyming |
| 80 | Eight & Blank | Reference to the numbers |
Numbers 81-90
| 81 | Stop & Run | Rhyming |
| 82 | Straight on Through | Rhyming |
| 83 | Time for Tea | Rhyming |
| 84 | Seven Dozen | See 12 |
| 85 | Staying Alive | Rhyming; reference to the Bee Gees song |
| 86 | Between the Sticks | Rhyming; reference to a goalkeeper in football |
| 87 | Torquay in Devon | Rhyming |
| 88 | Two Fat Ladies | Reference to the numbers |
| 89 | Nearly There | Reference to being the penultimate number |
| 90 | Top of the Shop | Reference to being the highest number possible |
