Bingo Calls

Most of the following British Bingo Lingo is self-explanatory but where it’s not we’ll try to offer some further explanation. These nicknames were used by bingo callers in the traditional bingo halls when calling out each number they are now known as bingo lingo or bingo calls.

There is a bingo call for every bingo number from 1 – 90. While some lingo is very simple others are more obscure and that’s why were here to help. The nickname will usually rhyme with the number, for example ‘Tom’s Trick’s: 6. While other bingo calls have a more logical reason backing them, such as ‘Kelly’s Eye’ for number one. (Named for the one eyed Australian gangster Ned Kelly)

The list we have provided includes some of the most commonly used lingo for numbers called in UK bingo.

1 Kelly’s Eye / At the Beginning (One eyed Australian gangster Ned Kelly)

2 One Little Duck (the number 2 is a swan like shape)

3 Cup of Tea

4 Knock at the Door

5 Man Alive

6 Toms Trick’s

7 Lucky Seven

8 One Fat Lady

9 Doctor’s Orders (Brought back from the army days… A pill known as Number 9 was a laxative given out by army doctors.)

10 Tony’s Den (This bit of terminology changes depending on who the British Prime Minister is at the time. Number 10 Downing Street is the traditional residence of The British Prime Minister, and in the UK it is simply referred to as “Number 10” and so the association.)

11 Legs Eleven

12 One Dozen

13 Unlucky for Some

14 Valentines Day

15 Young and Keen

16 Sweet Sixteen

17 Dancing Queen (From the ABBA Song, Dancing Queen. “You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen…”)

18 Coming of Age

20 One Score

21 Key of the Door

22 Two Little Ducks

23 Thee and Me / The Lord Is My Shepard (Refers to Psalm in the Bible.)

24 Two Dozen

25 Duck and Dive

26 Pick and Mix / Bed ad Breakfast (The cost of a night’s lodgings and breakfast was traditionally 2 shillings and sixpence, or two and six.)

27 Gateway to Heaven

28 In a State

29 You’re Doing Fine

30 Burlington Bertie (This crosses over to horse racing lingo. Burlington Bettie is odds of 100-30 on the racing circuit.)

31 Get up and run

32 Buckle my Shoe

33 Dirty Knees

34 Ask for More

35 Jump and Jive

36 Three Dozen

37 A flea in Heaven

38 Christmas Cake

39 Those Famous Steps

40 Naughty Forty

41 Time for Fun

42 Winnie the Pooh

43 Down on your knees

44 Droopy Drawers

45 Halfway There

46 Up to tricks

47 Four and seven

48 Four Dozen

49 PC (PC refers to Police Constable. PC 49 was a well known cop show in the olden days of British Radio.)

50 Bulls Eye (This piece of slang comes from the game of darts, where the aim of the game is the hit the small, circular dot called the bulls eye which is worth 50 point. Hence 50 = Bulls Eye.)

51 Tweak of the thumb

52 Danny La Rue (Famous British drag artist.)

53 Stuck in the Tree

54 Clean the Floor

55 Snakes Alive

56 Was she worth it?

57 Heinz Varieties (Heinz 57 is a popular variety of canned baked beans in the UK.)

58 Make them Wait

59 Brighton Line

60 Five Dozen

61 Bakers Run

62 Turn on the Screw

63 Tickle Me

64 Red Raw / The Beatles Number (“when I get older losing my hair, many years from now…”based on the song “When I’m 64”by British pop group legends The Beatles.)

65 Old age pension (Traditional British minimum age for claiming a state pension – although it’s now lowered to 60 for women)

66 Clickety Click

67 Made in Heaven

68 Saving Grace

69 Either Way Up

70 Three Score and Ten

71 Bang on the Drum 72 Six Dozen / Par for the Course (Based on golfing terminology)

73 Crutch and a flea

74 Candy Store

75 Strive and Strive

76 Trombones (Refers to the brass section musical piece “76 trombones” typically heard at just about every single parade you came across)

77 Sunset Strip (Cult American TV Show)