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The Bingo Calling Names - 90 Balls covered

If you are new to the world of online bingo or traditional bingo, you may be forgiven for thinking that the game is simply about arming yourself with some bingo cards, listening out for the numbers called and hoping to win. While this is the basic premise of the game, it is important to remember that bingo dates further back than the exciting, fast-paced world of today's online bingo and, in fact, has a rich and interesting history surrounding it. Nowhere is this fact reflected better than in the old traditional calling names used in bingo halls.

What are Calling Names?

Calling names are traditional nicknames given to all the numbers on the bingo board, from one through to ninety. These names sprung up in the United Kingdom and may vary from region to region in the country. Essentially, bingo calling names fall into two broad categories - those that rhyme with the number, and those that have a special reason to why they are associated with that particular number. In online bingo there are no calling names, but the numbers are called out clearly plus the fact that you have a visual of the ball as well as a board where all the numbers called are displayed.

Many bingo calling names have one than one calling name - one of ‘rhyme' and one of ‘reason'. This is because many rhyming nicknames can rhyme with other numbers down the list (for example, the number 25's calling name ‘Duck and Dive' also rhymes with all numbers on the list that end with five). This makes it difficult to remember all the rhyming names and so a ‘reasonable' name is given as well. Multiples of 10 (ie. numbers 20, 30, etc.) have the word ‘blind' put before the number. Lists of these popular nicknames can be found at some online bingo sites.

Traditional Calling Names and Some of their Explanations

No. Calling Names Explanation
1 At the beginning/Kelly's eye Named for the one-eyed Australian gangster called Ned Kelly
2 Me and You/One little duck The number two is shaped like a swan
3 You and me/Cup of tea  
4 Knock at the door  
5 Man alive  
6 Tom's Tricks/Tom Nix  
7 God's in heaven/Lucky seven  
8 Golden gate/Garden gate/One fat lady Named for the shape of the number 8
9 Doctor's Orders During World War II, the common name for the laxative pill was "number 9".
10 Tony's Den Tony refers to Prime Minister Tony Blair who lives at number 10 Downing Street. When the English PM changes, the calling name also does.
11 Leg's eleven  
12 One dozen Twelve is one dozen
13 Unlucky for some/Devil's number/Baker's dozen Refers to the unlucky qualities of number 13 and the fact that 13 is a baker's dozen
14 Valentine's Day A holiday which falls on February 14th
15 Young and keen/Rugby team A rugby team consists of 15 players
16 She's lovely/Sweet sixteen  
17 Often been kissed/Dancing queen  
18 Coming of age The legal coming of age in the U.K.
19 Goodbye teens  
20 Blind 20/One score One score is also known as twenty
21 Key of the door  
22 All the twos/two little ducks Refers to the shape of the number 2
23 She and me/The Lord is my shepherd Refers to Psalm number 23 in the Bible
24 Two dozen  
25 Duck and dive  
26 Pick and mix/Half a crown/Bed and breakfast Traditionally, the cost of one night's accommodation plus breakfast in England used to cost '2 and 6' (two shillings and a sixpence
27 Gateway to heaven/Little duck with crutch Refers to the shape of the numbers
28 In a state/Overweight  
29 Rise and Shine/You're doing fine  
30 Blind thirty/Burlington Bertie/Dirty Gertie/Flirty Thirty/Speed Limit Refers to the speed limit for cars in yester-year England
31 Get up and run  
32 Buckle my shoe  
33 All the threes/Dirty knees/All the feathers/Two little fleas/Sherwood forest  
34 Ask for more  
35 Jump and jive  
36 Three and dozen  
37 A flea in heaven/More than eleven  
38 Christmas cake  
39 Steps/Those famous steps  
40 Naughty forty  
41 Time for fun  
42 Winnie the Pooh/Famous street in Manhattan Refers to 42nd Street in Manhattan
43 Down on your knees  
44 All the fours/Droopy drawers  
45 Halfway House/Halfway there Refers to the fact that 45 is half of 90
46 Up to tricks  
47 Four and seven  
48 Four dozen  
49 P.C./Constable/Nick Nick  
50 Blind fifty/Half a century/Bull's Eye Refers to the number of points won for a bulls eye in the game of darts
51 Tweak of the Thumb  
52 Danny la Rue/Weeks in a year  
53 Stuck in the Tree  
54 Clean the floor  
55 All the fives/Snakes alive  
56 Was she worth it?  
57 Heinz varieties  
58 Choo-choo Thomas/Make them wait  
59 Brighton Line The traditional English bus service from London to Brighton was number 59
60 Blind sixty/Three score/Five dozen  
61 Baker's Bun  
62 Tickety Boo/Turn on the Screw  
63 Tickle Me  
64 Red Raw/The Beatle's Number Refers to the famous song "When I'm 64" by the pop group, the Beatles.
65 Age old pension Retirement age for men in England
66 Clickety Click/All the sixes  
67 Argumentative number/Made in Heaven  
68 Saving Grace  
69 The same both ways/Either way up/Your place or mine/Meal for two A number with sexual connotations
70 Blind seventy/Three score and ten  
71 Bang on the drum  
72 Six dozen/A par for the course/A crutch and a duck  
73 Queen B/A crutch and a flea  
74 Candy store  
75 Strive and Strive  
76 Trombones/Was she worth it? Refers to the cost of a traditional marriage license in England that used to cost "7 and 6" (7 shillings and sixpence)
77 Sunset Strip/All the sevens/Two little crutches  
78 Heaven's Gate  
79 One more time  
80 Blind 80/Eight and blank/Ghandi's breakfast Consider a bird's eye-view of Ghandi sitting cross-legged facing his empty plate for breakfast
81 Stop and run  
82 Straight on through/Fat lady with a duck  
83 Time for tea/Ethel's ear Refers to a fat lady and the shape of an ear (3)
84 Seven dozen  
85 Staying alive  
86 Between the sticks  
87 Torquay in Devon/Fat lady with a crutch  
88 All the eights/Two fat ladies  
89 All but one/Nearly there  
90 Blind 90/End of the line/Top of the shop/Top of the house  
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