Bingo Calling Names

Bingo Board Lingo – Traditional Bingo Call Names

A list of all the known Bingo Calling Names

If you are new to the world of online bingo or traditional bingo, you may be forgiven for thinking Read More

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 Bingo Calling Names?

Calling names are traditional nicknames given to all the numbers on the bingo board, from one through to Read More

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. Knowing the lingo is just as necessary in online bingo as it is in regular bingo, however bingo games wouldn’t be the same without it. Lists of these popular nicknames can be found at some online bingo sites.

Have you tried our Free Bingo Game Yet?

How about a nice big bonus offer from Back2School Bingo?

Traditional Bingo Calling Names and Some of their Explanations

No.

Bingo Calling Name

Bingo Calling Name 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 You and me is a romantic rhyme
4 Knock at the door One Two, buckle my shoe nursery rhyme (3 4 Knock at the door)
5 Man alive Man alive is a simple rhyme that works here
6 Tom’s Tricks/Tom Nix Because they rhyme
7 God’s in heaven/Lucky seven As in the 7th heaven. Superstition also holds that 7 is a lucky number
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 “No. 9”
10 David’s Den Refers to Prime Minister David Cameron who lives at No. 10 Downing Street. When the English PM changes, the calling name also does.
11 Leg’s eleven Refers to a pair of sexy legs (2 straight up legs, side by side)
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 A young girls 16th birthday is called her Sweet sixteen
17 Often been kissed/Dancing queen Abba’s hit Dancing Queen had the line “You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17”
18 Coming of age The legal coming of age in the U.K.
19 Goodbye teens Last “teen” year before 20 comes along
20 Blind 20/One score One score is also known as twenty
21 Key of the door Tradition – At age 21 a child was often given a symbolic key to represent entering adulthood
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 Self explanatory 12 plus 12
25 Duck and dive The shape of 2 is a duck and dive rhymes with five
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 Number 8 is one fat lady but with a 2 extra it’s “overweight”
29 Rise and Shine/You’re doing fine/In your prime One more year till you are 30. You better be 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 No apparent reason other than it rhymes
32 Buckle my shoe It rhymes and comes from the Rhyme, 1,2 Buckle my shoe
33 All the threes/Dirty knees/All the feathers/Two little fleas/Sherwood forest With both 3’s here, all the 3’s is a logical call. If you say “All the trees” you will know why Sherwood FOrest is used as well
34 Ask for more Used because it rhymes
35 Jump and jive Would appear to be for rhyming purposes only
36 Three dozen You guessed it. A dozen is 12, 3 dozen is 36
37 A flea in heaven/More than eleven 3 is often called a flea and 7 is often used in connection with heaven
38 Christmas cake Seems to be no reason other than rhyme
39 Steps/Those famous steps The 39 Steps was a well known book that was adapated for film
40 Naughty forty Popular saying that rhymes as well
41 Time for fun Life begins at 40 is a popular saying so at 41, it is time to have fun
42 Winnie the Pooh/That famous street in Manhattan Refers to 42nd Street in Manhattan
43 Down on your knees Seems to be because it rhymes
44 All the fours/Droopy drawers All the 4’s is rather obvious. Droopy drawers refers to 4 looking like a pair of trousers, sagging at the waist
45 Halfway House/Halfway there Refers to the fact that 45 is half of 90
46 Up to tricks Only because it rhymes
47 Four and seven It rhymes and is of course written 4 then 7
48 Four dozen A dozen is 12. 4 times 12 is 48
49 P.C./Constable/Nick Nick Linked to an old British radio show, PC49
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 No apparent reason other than rhyme
52 Danny la Rue/Weeks in a year Danny la Rue was apparently a famous Drag Queen
53 Stuck in the Tree Used because it rhymes
54 Clean the floor No other reason other than the fact that it rhymes
55 All the fives/Snakes alive Two 5’s make it all the 5’s. The shape of 5’s make it snakes alive
56 Was she worth it? This was apparently the price of an old marraige license
57 Heinz varieties Heinz apparently had 57 varieties. Best known would be Heinz Beans
58 Choo-choo Thomas/Make them wait 58 looks a bit like a steam train & Thomas the Tank Engine was no. 8
59 Brighton Line Traditional English bus service from London to Brighton was no. 59
60 Blind sixty/Three score/Five dozen All are mathematical or popular calling conventions
61 Baker’s Bun Apparently only because it rhymes
62 Tickety Boo/Turn on the Screw It rhymes but no other apparent reason for these
63 Tickle Me Rhyme but no reason
64 Red Raw/The Beatle’s Number Refers to the famous song “When I’m 64” by pop group, the Beatles
65 Age old pension Retirement age for men in England
66 Clickety Click/All the sixes Rhyme, both sixes
67 Argumentative number/Made in Heaven Definitely religeous connotations here. 6 is bad and 7 is good
68 Saving Grace There is a movie by that name. Any significance? None that we see
69 The same both ways/Either way up/Your place or mine/Meal for two A number with sexual connotations. Six and nine can be flipped to be six and nine
70 Blind seventy/Three score and ten A score is twenty. Three score is sixty plus ten more
71 Bang on the drum Would appear that rhyme is the reason
72 Six dozen/Par for the course/Crutch and a duck Six times twelve (dozen). Seven is said to look like a crutch and 2 looks like a duck
73 Queen B/A crutch and a flea Queen B rhymes. 7 looks like a crutch and 3 looks like a flea
74 Candy store Rhymes with the call. No other reason
75 Strive and Strive Only because it rhymes. No other apparent reason
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/2 little crutches Both sevens, shape of 7, 77 Sunset Strip
78 Heaven’s Gate 7 is associate with heaven and eight rhymes with gate
79 One more time This is a rhyming convention only
80 Blind 80/Eight and blank/Ghandi’s breakfast Ghandi sitting cross-legged facing his empty plate for breakfast
81 Stop and run It rhymes but there seems no other reason for the call
82 Straight on through/Fat lady with a duck 8 is a fat lady and 2 is a duck, the call is logical
83 Time for tea/Ethel’s ear Refers to a fat lady and the shape of an ear (3)
84 Seven dozen 7 times 12 (dozen)
85 Staying alive Only there because it rhymes
86 Between the sticks What sticks? Only for rhyming reasons
87 Torquay in Devon/Fat lady with a crutch There is that fat lady again (8) with her crutch (7)
88 All the eights/Two fat ladies Seriously, the over generously proportioned ladies (8) will be angry
89 All but one/Nearly there Almost out of numbers, only one to go
90 Blind 90/End of the line/Top of the shop/Top of the house The end of the numbers or the top of the list, whatever, it’s logical

 

Have you tried our Free Bingo Game Yet?

How about a nice big bonus offer from Back2School Bingo?