Did you know?
Every Wondered WHY Bingo Lingo was created? Well, we have searched the internet for YOU and found out as much as we could.
So, below you will find a few descriptions of some of the bingo lingo used in the online bingo world today as well as the offline bingo halls.
Most Bingo Lingo terms and phrases used today are based on rhyming slang. We were all taught how to rhyme things when we were children, some Bingo fanatics just got over excited with their rhyming skills to create some interesting variations on how to rhyme certain phrases with number between 1 - 90.
Some people got even more creative and actually created some common Bingo Terms today based on the shape of the numbers used.
E.g. the number 2 looks like it could be a swan, so it was turned into a duck, probably to make it go with the fun of bingo so the number “22″ in bingo calls because Two Little Ducks. Some of our favorites here BingoisFun.com have to be the bingo call for the numbers 88 “Two Fat Ladies” and 87, which is “Fat Lady on Crutches” (Not that we have anything against fat ladies, in fact we think they are the most jolly people in the world!)
Some other Bingo Term explanations need to be explained in more detail though, and this is where the internet was our friend, so below is some interesting info you can bring to the table at your next book club or Bingo Social Club:
- 1. Kelly’s Eye: Seems to go back to when a variation of bingo was a popular British Army game - and did you know, Bingo was the ONLY gambling game allowed by the army. Who Kelly was or is, is nowhere to be found. If you know, email us to let us know!
- 9. Doctor’s Orders: This one also came from the Army days. A pill known as Number 9 was a laxative given out by army doctors. Haha!
- 10. Gordon’s Den: This bingo term changes depending on who the British Prime Minister is at the time. Number 10 Downing Street is the traditional home of Prime Minister, and in the UK it is referred to as “Number 10″ hence the easy association. At the moment the PM is Gordon Brown, so therefore it is “Gordon’s Den”.
- 17. Dancing Queen: Taken from the hit ABBA Single, Dancing Queen. “You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen…”
- 23 The Lord Is My shepherd: Refers to Psalm 23 in The Bible.
- 26. Bed and Breakfast: The traditional price per night to stay in a B&B in the UK back in the days before TV or anything was 2 shillings and 6 pence which was always shortened to “2 and 6″.
- 30. Burlington Bertie: This is a clear case of using Horse Racing Lingo in Bingo too! Burlington Bertie is odds of 100-30 in the Horse Racing world.
- 30. Speed Limit: This is the speed limit on residential roads all over the UK.
- 33. Sherwood Forest: This was the home of the Thief of the Rich, Mr. Robin Hood himself. 33 all the threes or all the ‘trees’ if you say 3 like an Irishman.
- 39. Those Famous Steps: From the classic espionage book turned movie film, “The 39 Steps”.
- 49. PC etc.: PC refers to Police Constable. PC 49 was a well known cop show on the British Radio back in the 40s and 50s. The show also made it into a few film and comic strip spin-offs, which is why there are so many police references associated with this number.
- 50. Bulls Eye: This bingo lingo comes from the game of darts. The centre of a dartboard is typically a small, circular dot called the “Bull’s Eye” which, if hit, is worth 50 points.
- 52. Danny La Rue: This was a famous British drag artist. i.e. A Man in Woman’s clothing
- 57. Heinz Varieties: Heinz 57 is still to this day a popular variety of canned baked beans in the UK.
- 64. The Beatles Number: This is based on the song “When I’m 64″ by British pop group legends The Beatles.
- 65. Old age Pension: This was the traditional minimum age for claiming a state pension in the UK (however, this has now been lowered to 60 for women).
- 69. Well.. This is one of those terms derived with a sexual connotation. We all have our naughty sides, number 69, a meal for two. Haha!
- 72. Par for the course: This is a term that has derived from Golfing Terminology. To get Par for the course is to remain on 0 the whole way through a round of gold.
- 76. Trombones: Simply refers to the brass section musical piece “76 Trombones” which can be heard at pretty much every single parade you will ever come across.
- 77. Sunset Strip: This is taken from a Cult American TV show from the 50’s called 77 Sunset Strip.
When visiting a Bingo Hall anywhere in England or most of the online bingo sites that BingoisFun.com have reviewed,you are bound to hear some sort of Bingo Lingo. Most of this Lingo is pretty self explanatory, but some are not.So, what we have done for you is put a list of the most common lingo, terms and phrases together to help you know what “special number” is being called!
Most bingo phrases used in British bingo halls and in some online games are self explanatory but where not, we’ll try to offer an explanation, at least as far as we are able! The following is a list of the most commonly used bingo sayings followed by a section devoted to a short description of the supposed meaning behind some of the more obscure pieces of bingo lingo!
- 1 Kelly’s eye / Nelson’s column / At the beginning
- 2 One little duck / Me and you
- 3 You and me / Cup of tea / One Little Flea
- 4 Knock at the door / B4 (and after)
- 5 Man alive
- 6 Tom’s tricks / Chopsticks / Tom Nix
- 7 Lucky seven / God’s in heaven
- 8 One Fat Lady / Golden gate
- 9 Doctor’s orders
- 10 Gordon’s Den
- 11 Legs eleven
- 12 One dozen / One and two - a dozen / Monkey’s cousin (rhymes with “a dozen”)
- 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 / The age to catch ‘em / Dancing Queen
- 18 Key of the door / Coming of age
- 19 Goodbye teens
- 20 Getting plenty / Blind 20
- 21 Key of the door
- 22 Two little ducks / All the twos
- 23 Thee and me / The Lord is my Shepherd
- 24 Two dozen
- 25 Duck and dive
- 26 Bed and breakfast / Half a crown / Pick and mix
- 27 Little duck with a crutch / Gateway to heaven
- 28 In a state / Over weight
- 29 You’re doing fine
- 30 Burlington Bertie / Dirty Gertie / Speed limit / Flirty thirty / Blind 30
- 31 Get up and run
- 32 Buckle my Shoe
- 33 Dirty knees / All the threes / All the feathers / Two little fleas / Sherwood Forest
- 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 That famous street in Manhattan / Whinny the Pooh
- 43 Down on your knees
- 44 Droopy drawers / All the fours
- 45 Halfway house / Halfway there
- 46 Up to tricks
- 47 Four and seven
- 48 Four dozen
- 49 PC (Police Constable) / Copper / Nick nick
- 50 Bulls eye / Blind 50 / Half a century
- 51 Tweak of the thumb
- 52 Weeks in a year / Danny La Rue
- 53 Stuck in the tree
- 54 Clean the floor
- 55 Snakes alive / All the fives
- 56 Was she worth it?
- 57 Heinz varieties
- 58 Make them wait / Choo choo Thomas
- 59 Brighton line
- 60 Three score / Blind 60 / Five dozen
- 61 Bakers bun
- 62 Tickety boo / Turn on the screw
- 63 Tickle me
- 64 Red raw / The Beatles number
- 65 Old age pension
- 66 Clickety click / All the sixes
- 67 Made in heaven / Argumentative number
- 68 Saving grace
- 69 The same both ways / your place or mine / Either way up / Meal for two
- 70 Three score and ten / Blind 70
- 71 Bang on the drum
- 72 A crutch and a duck / Six dozen / Par for the course
- 73 Crutch and a flea / Queen B
- 74 Candy store
- 75 Strive and strive
- 76 Trombones
- 77 Sunset strip / All the sevens / Two little crutches
- 78 Heavens gate
- 79 One more time
- 80 Gandhi’s breakfast / Blind 80 / Eight and blank
- 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 / End of the line
We hope you enjoyed those useful pieces of information, you never know when you will have the opportunity to be the Bingo Lingo brain of the day again, but we are sure all the above Bingo Terms, Bingo Phrases and Bingo Lingo will help you in the future. Check back soon for our very own BingoisFun Bingo Lingo!

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