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Bingo Calls: Complete Guide

Summary: Originating in London during the 1900s, the bingo calls use rhymes associated with numbers to clarify announcements in noisy bingo halls. With 90 different calls, such as "Kelly's eye" for number 1 and "Two fat ladies" for 88, players mark their tickets accordingly.

Table of Content:

Check Out Our List Of Bingo Calls
How to Call Numbers in Bingo?
How Did Bingo Calls Originate?
US Bingo Calls
UK Bingo Calls
Bingo Calls FAQ

There are an estimated 1.6 billion bingo players around the world. The game attracts all types of players thanks to the excitement it generates. If you have ever been to a traditional bingo hall, you will understand the energy bingo creates. It is fast and fun and provides thrilling highs when you win.

A unique characteristic of the much-loved game is the bingo calls. You may have played in a traditional bingo hall and heard some strange phrases called out over the PA system. You may not have understood what the announcer said. That is because traditional bingo has unique bingo calls to clarify the numbers.

Rather than simply saying the numbers one, two, or three, bingo callers use a special lingo. The phrases may sound a tad strange, but let us assure you, bingo calls are one of the funniest aspects of this unique game.

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Check Out Our List Of Bingo Calls

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How to Call Numbers in Bingo?

Bingo is one of the easiest games to learn and traditional bingo halls and online casinos like LeoVegas provide players with the chance to win cash prizes. It shouldn’t take you long to learn the rules of bingo even if you have never played it before.

Players receive a ticket with different numbers on it. The announcer, or bingo caller, will draw balls out of a blower and call out the number on the ball. Players will then mark the number off their ticket if it is on the card. A player wins the game by crossing off all the numbers on their ticket before another player does.

There are different versions of bingo, but for the most part, all of the games are played the same. You can play 90-ball, 75-ball, and other types of bingo online. The number of balls will determine the numbers on the bingo ticket. If you play bingo at a bingo hall, you may even see some players using multiple tickets at once.

Some bingo halls still use traditional blowers to select the numbers. However, some bingo halls will generate the numbers electronically. Online bingo games use random number generation (RNG) to select the numbers.

Online bingo games will use the same bingo rhyming phrases as traditional bingo games. This gives the online versions of bingo a real-life feel. Bingo websites always want to make the game engaging for players. Providing a real-life feel allows the website to engage with an audience even more. Compared to casino games like roulette, blackjack, and slots, bingo is incredibly social. That is one reason so many people enjoy playing it. Once you get comfortable with the bingo lingo, you will find the game even more enthralling.

How Did Bingo Calls Originate?

Most bingo calls are associated with rhymes. For example, the number will rhyme with the bingo call (‘3 a cup of tea’). Bingo calls originated in London during the 1900s. Indeed, the calls are part of Cockney rhyming slang, which was used by people in London’s East End to pass messages, secrets and to speak without the police knowing what was being said.

The rhymes were adopted by bingo players in the many bingo halls in London. The lingo was used to ensure players heard the correct number clearly when it was read out loud. Some of the numbers can sound similar in a noisy bingo hall. Bingo calls clarify which number players should mark on their tickets.

Some bingo calls and rhymes were added over time. Rhymes were added to reflect the locations of bingo halls and the regional dialect. Every bingo number has its very own nickname. It can be difficult to understand the different bingo calls in the beginning, but with some practice, you will know the difference between numbers based on the unique nicknames. Now, you won’t confuse 34 and 44 when the announcer calls the number out.

US Bingo Calls

The most popular version of bingo in the United States and Canada is the 75 Ball Bingo. The tickets for a 75 Ball Bingo features five columns, each labeled B, I, N, G, or O, and five rows. Of the 25 squares in the ticket, 24 contain numbers, while the center square is left blank. The numbers in 75 Ball Bingo are organized by groups of 15 for each letter. B1-15, I16-30, N31-45, G46-60, O61-75. You win by being the first person to get the numbers in a row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and calling out 'Bingo.'

Here are US bingo calls:

These calls are used in the US and Canada 75 ball bingo halls and online bingo games, and they are different from the UK version in terms of the specific numbers called and the format of the game. US bingo is typically played with a 5x5 card with a free space in the center, whereas UK bingo often uses a 9x3 card.

UK Bingo Calls

There are 90 bingo calls. Some phrases are more understandable than others. A few phrases may make you shrug your shoulders due to their meanings not being immediately recognisable.

Bingo calls and lingo list:

1 – Kelly’s eye
46 – Up to tricks
2 – One little duck
47 – Four and seven
3 – Cup of tea
48 – Four dozen
4 – Knock at the door
49 – PC
5 – Man alive
50 – Half a century
6 – Tom Mix/Half a dozen
51 – Tweak of the thumb
7 – Lucky seven
52 – Danny La Rue
8 – Garden gate
53 – Here comes Herbie/Stuck in a tree
9 – Doctor’s orders
54 – Clean the floor
10 – [UK Prime Minister’s name]’s den
55 – Snakes alive
11 – Legs eleven
56 – Shotts Bus
12 – One dozen
57 – Heinz varieties
13 – Unlucky for some
58 – Make them wait
14 – Valentine’s Day
59 – Brighton Line
15 – Young and keen
60 – Five dozen
16 – Sweet 16 and never been kissed
61 – Baker’s bun
17 – Dancing queen
62 – Turn the screw/Tickety-boo
18 – Coming of age
63 – Tickle me 63
19 – Goodbye teens
64 – Red raw
20 – One score
65 – Old age pension
21 – Royal salute/Key of the door
66 – Clickety click
22 – Two little ducks
67 – Stairway to heaven
23 – Thee and me
68 – Saving Grace
24 – Two dozen
69 – Favourite of mine
25 – Duck and dive
70 – Three score and ten
26 – Pick and mix
71 – Bang on the drum
27 – Gateway to heaven
72 – Six dozen
28 – In a state/Overweight
73 – Queen bee
29 – Rise and shine
74 – Hit the floor
30 – Dirty Gertie
75 – Strive and strive
31 – Get up and run
76 – Trombones
32 – Buckle my shoe
77 – Sunset strip
33 – Dirty knee/All the threes/Fish, chips & peas
78 – 39 more steps
34 – Ask for more
79 – One more time
35 – Jump and jive
80 – Eight and blank
36 – Three dozen
81 – Stop and run
37 – More than eleven
82 – Straight on through
38 – Christmas cake
83 – Time for tea
39 – 39 steps
84 – Seven dozen
40 – Life begins
85 – Staying alive
41 – Time for fun
86 – Between the sticks
42 – Winnie the Pooh
87 – Torquay in Devon
43 – Down on your knees
88 – Two fat ladies
44 – Droopy drawers
89 – Nearly there
45 – Halfway there
90 – Top of the shop

Bingo Calls FAQ

What does 69 mean in bingo?

The bingo call for the number 69 is ‘Anyway up’. This means that the number 69 looks the same right-side up or upside down.

What does 88 mean in bingo?

The bingo call for number 88 is ‘Two fat ladies’. This is self-explanatory, as the number 88 looks like two overweight women sitting next to each other.

Why is 44 droopy drawers?

Number 44 is claimed to look like sagging trousers. It is a difficult visual to understand. However, the number 44 creates a partial rhyme with ‘droopy drawers’. So, perhaps that is the reason the bingo call stuck.

What is the bingo call for 30?

The bingo call for number 30 is ‘Dirty Gertie’. There is some history behind the number 30 bingo call. Dirty Gertie is the nickname of the La Délivrance statue. La Délivrance is a bronze statue of a naked woman. It was created by French artist Emile Oscar Guillaume in 1914. It is a tribute to the First Battle of the Marne, a military battle in which Germany was stopped from reaching Paris in World War I. In 1927, the statue was placed in Barnet, London. In addition, Dirty Gertie was a song the Allied soldiers sang during World War II.

Which number does bingo call time for fun?

The number 41 is the bingo call for fun. The bingo announcer will call, ‘41, time for fun’. The reason behind the rhyme is that life begins at 41, so it is time to have some fun.

Bingo calls are one of the unique characteristics of the game. It can take some time to understand and remember the different and traditional bingo calls. Once you know the different bingo calls, you won’t be confused by the different numbers again. Bingo calls make it easy to differentiate between the numbers, so you won’t make mistakes and mark the wrong numbers.

What are different ways of calling bingo numbers in Canada, the US, and the UK?

There is a difference between the English language used in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In a way, Canada uses a combination of the two versions of English thanks to its proximity to the US and its long ties to the UK.

The bingo numbers in Canada and the US may have different rhymes. Some of the changes may be subtle, while others may be completely different. The traditional bingo rhyming slang from the UK may not make sense to a Canadian or American audience. Some bingo halls in Canada or the States may be unaware of the traditional British bingo rhyming slang.

What is a 77 bingo call?

In bingo, the number 77 is commonly referred to as "Sunset Strip." This nickname originates from the popular 1950s and 60s television series titled 77 Sunset Strip, which featured private investigators and was set in Los Angeles.

Additionally, 77 is also humorously referred to as "Two little crutches," due to the visual resemblance of the number to two crutches when viewed in a certain way.

What does 86 between the sticks mean?

The term "86 Between the Sticks" in bingo refers to the number 86 and is a playful nickname that rhymes with "eighty-six." This call is associated with the position of a goalkeeper in football (soccer), who is often described as being "between the sticks," referring to the goalposts.