Bingo Calling

See also Bingo Glossary

There is a great article by the BBC about bingo calling you can read the entire article by clicking here. I've listed some of the terms below.

What Are 'Nicknames'?

Many numbers have a 'nickname', a phrase that is called along with the number to clarify what has been called and inject an occasional sense of fun into proceedings. This may be as simple as 'four and nine, forty-nine2' or as obtuse as 'two and six; bed and breakfast, twenty-six'.

Broadly speaking, nicknames fall into two categories: those with rhyme and those with reason. The number twenty has two nicknames which illustrate this. It is known as 'one score', as a score is twenty, and as 'getting plenty', because it rhymes with twenty. Which you prefer is down to personal taste, and most callers use a mixture of both. Many find the rhyming ones more difficult to remember; for example '34 – ask for more' could just as easily be the nickname for 54, but if you know that a bullseye in darts scores fifty then 'it's a bullseye! Number 50' is easy. There are a very few numbers which have both rhyme and reason, a few that raise a smile, and one or two sad lonely numbers that have no nickname at all.

Note that many professional halls do not encourage callers to use nicknames. This is because technically until the caller actually says the number itself, players can still claim on the last number. For example, the last number was 33, the caller then says 'all the twos, two little ducks..' but before he can say '22' someone calls 'HOUSE!' It is ambiguous then whether the number being called on is 22 or 33; according to the letter of the law only 33 can be claimed on, but most people will naturally shout as soon as they know they have won. Someone claiming on 22 in this case would not win.

Essential Nicknames

The main nicknames you need to remember are the single digits (one to nine, 'on its own'), 'twin' numbers (eg, 44) and the multiples of ten ('blind'). Getting these is half the battle. You will be forgiven for forgetting some obscure rhyming slang for number 43, but every player will know that number one is known as Kelly's Eye and tut every time you forget to say it. Master these before your first calling.

1. Kelly's eye, Buttered scone, At the beginning, Little Jimmy, Nelson's column, B1 Baby of bingo
2. One little duck, Baby's done it, Doctor who, Me and you, Little boy blue
3. Dearie me, I'm free, Debbie McGee, You and me, Goodness me, One little flea, Cup of tea, Monkey on the tree
4. The one next door, On the floor, Knock at the door, B4 Crowd says "and after", Bobby Moore
5. Man alive, Jack's alive, One little snake
6. Tom Mix, Tom's tricks, Chopsticks
7. Lucky seven, God's in heaven, One little crutch, David Beckham
8. Garden gate, Golden gate, At the gate, Harry Tate, One fat lady, She's always late, Sexy Kate, Is she in yet
9. Doctor's orders
10. Downing street, Cock and hen (rhyming), Uncle Ben (rhyming), Tony's Den
11. Legs eleven, Legs - they're lovely, Kelly's legs number eleven, Chicken legs, Skinny legs
12. One dozen, One and two - a dozen, Monkey's cousin (rhymes with "a dozen"), One doz' if one can
13. Unlucky for some, Devil's number, Bakers dozen
14. Valentines day
15. Rugby team, Young and keen
16. Sweet sixteen, She’s lovely, Never been kissed
17. Often been kissed, Old Ireland, Dancing queen, The age to catch ‘em, Posh and Becks
18. Key of the door, Now you can vote, Coming of age
19. Goodbye teens
20. One score, Getting plenty, Blind 20
21. Royal salute, Key of the door, If only I was., Just my age
22. Quack quack, Two little ducks (suggesting the necks of two swans), Ducks on a pond, Dinky doo, All the twos, Bishop Desmond, Put your 22's on, Too[t] too[t] (train whistle)
23. A duck and a Flea, Thee and me, The Lord's my Shepherd (based on 23rd Psalm)
24. Two dozen, Did you score?, Do you want some more?
25. Duck and dive
26. Bed and breakfast (traditional price was 2 shillings 6 pence), Half a crown (equivalent to 2 shillings 6 pence), Pick and mix
27. Little duck with a crutch, Gateway to heaven
28. In a state, The old brags, Over weight, Duck & its mate
29. You’re doing fine, In your prime, Rise and shine
30. Burlington Bertie, Dirty Gertie, Speed limit (in built-up area, UK), Blind 30, Flirty thirty, Your face is dirty
31. Get up and run
32. Buckle my Shoe
33. Dirty knees, All the feathers, All the threes, Gertie Lee, Two little fleas, Sherwood forest (all the trees)
34. Ask for more
35. Jump and jive
36. Three dozen
37. A flea in heaven, More than eleven
38. Christmas cake
39. Those famous steps, All the steps, Jack Benny
40. Two score, Life begins at, Blind 40, Naughty 40
41. Life’s begun, Time for fun
42. That famous street in Manhattan, Whinny the Poo
43. Down on your knees
44. Droopy drawers, All the fours, Open two doors
45. Halfway house, Halfway there, Cowboy's friend
46. Up to tricks
47. Four and seven
48. Four dozen
49. PC (Police Constable), Copper, Nick nick, Rise and shine
50. Bulls eye, Bung hole, Blind 50, Half a century, Snow White's number (five-oh, five-oh.), Hawaii five O
51. I love my mum, Tweak of the thumb, The Highland Div[ision]
52. Weeks in a year, The Lowland Div[ision], Danny La Rue, Pack 'o cards
53. Stuck in the tree, The Welsh Div[ision], The joker
54. Clean the floor, House of bamboo (famous song)
55. Snakes alive, All the fives, Double nickels, Give us fives, Bunch of fives
56. Was she worth it?
57. Heinz varieties, All the beans (Heinz 57 varieties of canned beans)
58. Make them wait, Choo choo Thomas
59. Brighton line (engine 59)
60. Three score, Blind 60, Five dozen
61. Bakers bun
62. Tickety boo, Turn on the screw
63. Tickle me
64. The Beatles number, Red raw
65. Old age pension, Stop work (retirement age)
66. Clickety click, All the sixes
67. Made in heaven, Argumentative number
68. Saving grace
69. The same both ways, your place or mine?, Any way up, Either way up, Any way round, Meal for two, The French connection, Yum yum
70. Three score and ten, Blind 70
71. Bang on the drum
72. A crutch and a duck, Six dozen, Par for the course (golf)
73. Crutch with a flea, Queen B, Under the tree
74. Candy store, Grandmamma of Bingo
75. Strive and strive, Big Daddy, Granddaddy of Bingo
76. Trombones, Seven 'n' six - was she worth it?
77. Sunset strip, All the sevens, Two little crutches, The double hockey stick
78. Heavens gate
79. One more time
80. Gandhi's breakfast, Blind 80, Eight and blank, There you go matey
81. Fat lady and a little wee, Stop and run
82. Fat lady with a duck, Straight on through
83. Fat lady with a flea, Time for tea, Ethel's Ear
84. Seven dozen
85. Staying alive
86. Between the sticks
87. Fat lady with a crutch, Torquay in Devon
88. Two fat ladies, Wobbly wobbly, All the eights
89. Nearly there, All but one
90. Top of the shop, Top of the house, Blind 90, As far as we go, End of the line

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