Bingo Number-calling Nicknames 35.. Jump and jive - Flirty wives 36.. Three dozen - Perfect (as in 36-24-36) - Yardstick... he wishes! (USA) 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 - Mary (USA) 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 - Magnum (USA) 45.. Halfway house - Halfway there - Cowboy's friend - Colt (USA) 46.. Up to tricks 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, Hawaii (USA) 51.. I love my mum - Tweak of the thumb - The Highland Div[ision] - President's salute 52.. Weeks in a year - The Lowland Div[ision] - Danny La Rue - Pack 'o cards - Pickup (USA) 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 or it took 59 mins to go from London to Brighton) 60.. Three score - Blind 60 - Five dozen 61.. Bakers bun 62..

Tickety boo - Turn on the screw 63.. Tickle me - Home ball (USA) 64.. The Beatles number - Red raw 65.. Old age pension - Stop work (retirement age) 66.. Clickety click - All the sixes - Quack quack (USA) 67.. Made in heaven - Argumentative number 68.. Saving grace - Check your weight 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 - Happy meal (USA) 70.. Three score and ten - Blind 70 - Big O (USA) 71.. Bang on the drum - Lucky one 72.. A crutch and a duck - Six dozen - Par for the course (golf) - Lucky two 73.. Crutch with a flea - Queen B - Under the tree - Lucky three 74.. Candy store - Grandmamma of Bingo - Lucky four 75.. Strive and strive - Big Daddy - Granddaddy of Bingo - Lucky five 76..

Trombones - Seven 'n' six - was she worth it? - Lucky six 77.. Sunset strip - All the sevens - Two little crutches - The double hockey stick - Lucky seven 78.. Heavens gate - Lucky eight 79.. One more time - Lucky nine 80.. Gandhi's breakfast - Blind 80 - Eight and blank - There you go matey 81.. Fat lady and a little wee - Stop and run - Corner shot 82.. Fat lady with a duck - Straight on through 83.. Fat lady with a flea - Time for tea - Ethel's Ear 84.. Seven dozen 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 Explanations of some nicknames: 1 Kelly's eye: In reference to the one-eyed Australian bushranger gangster Ned Kelly. (Note: apparently this explanation is incorrect.

A viewer from Australia sent this message: "Ned Kelly didn't have one eye! He didn't even lose an eye in the shoot out at Glenrowan. And when he was wearing his helmet, you couldn't even see his eyes through the slot." But another Australian viewer sent this explanation: "The reason for "Kellys eye" may have been referring to Ned Kelly's helmet, which had one large slot for his eyes that looked like one eye.") 2 One little duck: The shape looks a bit like a swan. 3 One little flea: Looks a bit like a flea. 7 One little crutch: Looks like a crutch. 8 One fat lady: Resembles the two halves of a large lady. 9 Doctor's orders: A pill known as Number 9 was a laxative given out by army doctors in Britain. Apparently in the second world war in Britain doctors wrote on sick notes a 9 pm curfew, thus if patients were found out of their homes after that time they were violating their sick note. (Provided by a visitor) The curfew story's not true. In the Great War, however, there was such a thing as a "number nine" pill, that was freely prescribed for virtually everything.

(Provided by another visitor) 10 Downing street: UK Prime Minister's address, 10 Downing Street. 12 Royal salute: As in, a 21-gun salute for a Royal birthday or other celebration. 13 Bakers Dozen: Bakers in olden times used to make one extra piece of bread/cookie etc to the dozen ordered by a customer so they could do a taste test before it was sold to the customer, hence the phrase. 17 Dancing queen: From the Abba song of the same name. Over-ripe: Opposite of tender; 14 and 17 straddle 16 which is sweet! 23 Lord's My Shepherd: From Psalm 23. 26 Bed and breakfast: Traditionally the cost of a nights' lodgings was 2 shillings sixpence, or two and six. 26 Half a crown: Equivalent to 2'6d. Or two and six. 39 The famous steps; all the steps: From the 1935 Hitchcock film 59 The Brighton Line: The London-Brighton service was no. 59.

65 Old age pension: 'Pension' age in the UK is at the age of 65. 76 Seven 'n' six - was she worth it?: The price of the marrige licence, seven shillings and six pence. A marriage license may have been 7/6 (37.5p in new money) once upon a time, but 7/6 was more recently the cost of a "short time" with a lady of negotiable affection.... (Provided by a visitor) 78 Heavens gate: it rhymes: heaven-seven, gate-eight. 80 Gandhi's breakfast: in reference to Ghandi�s famous peace protest, in which he abstained from food - Imagine him sitting crosslegged with a big empty plate in front of him, looking from above. Another suggested explanation: ate (8) nothing (0). 81 Corner shot: Generally used in Military clubs tambola aka housie in India; origin unknown. 83 Ethel's Ear: Fat lady beside ear-shaped three. (Above explanations are courtesy of visitors' feedback and bbc.co.uk ) Bingo Rules . Glossary . * Nicknames . Tips . Strategy . Patterns . Books . Links .

Extras Great gambling information site Use the "Main Menu" on the top right margin to explore this site. This is a comprehensive gambling information site with advice on winning, how to gamble, Betting systems , gambling articles, world land-based casinos directory, bingo halls directory, casino reviews (reviewed and rated), the best Online casinos , free online games, and lots of gamblers information and resources. Topics covered include game rules, how to play, how to win, betting strategies, gambling tips, glossary, on: Blackjack, Roulette (showing Table layouts of American, European and French roulettes and also the fast-play Roulite version), Poker classic and variants including Texas hold'em and Let-it-ride , Craps (dice game), Jackpot slots, Videopoker, Video games, Baccarat, Keno, Lotto/Lottery, Powerball, Bingo, Sports betting, Horse and Greyhound racing (including racetracks, race programs and results), and new gambling games. This is the gambling website with lots of information and resources as well as helpful advice and frequent updates thanks to your helpful feedback. Bingo number nicknames - looking for the origin of a few - can anyone help?

Bingo number nicknames - looking for the origin of a few - can anyone help? 1 2 3 4 5 Anonymous: I am developing some tasks for my TEFL students that include playing Bingo - also known as Tombola (Royal Navy), Housey-Housey (British Army), and Lotto (shop-bought version). To this end I have been developing a list of "number nicknames" that are used when calling out the numbers during play - e.g. "number eight - garden gate". There are many different nicknames used for each number - some dating from WWII and even different ones for different branches of the armed forces, and even some modern ones - e.g. "seventy-one" has changed recently from "bang on a drum" to a more modern "J-Lo's bum", in a reference to Jennifer Lopez's most famous asset. With some of the older ones I am having trouble in tracing the origins, or even checking the accuracy of the purported origin. I reproduce below some of the doubtful ones and would be grateful if anyone could throw any light upon the matter for me. Here we go: 1 - Kelly's eye (anyone know the origin?

Who was one-eyed Kelly,anyway?) 9 - Doctor's joy (navy term for purgative pill, it appears. Why?) 11 - Kelly's legs (same Kelly as number 1?) 30 - Dirty Gertie (does she exist or is this just rhyme?), because... 30 - Burlington Gertie (also used and is a reference to the ditty"Burlington Gertie from Bow") 42 - Winnie the Pooh (just rhyming?) 50 - Snow White's number (said to be "five-oh, five-oh" - a mutationof "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho"?) 56 - Was she worth it? (5/6d - WWII going rate for the services of aPompey *** (Portsmouth lady of the night). Can anyone confirm this? - the origin, not the price ;-) See also 76 58 - Choo-choo Thomas (... the Tank Engine?

why?) 59 - Brighton line (some say train fare from London to Brighton was5/9d during WWII; others say 59 was the engine number of the first "Brighton Belle"?) 62 - To Waterloo (some say rail fare from Portsmouth to London duringWWII was 6/2d?) 73 - Queen B (just rhyming?) 75 - Big Daddy (why?) 76 - Seven 'n' six - was she worth it? (7/6d. - the price of amarriage licence during WWII - compare with 56 - almost the same) 80 - Gandhi's breakfast (anyone know? I know that 10 in the Navy issailor's breakfast - a rasher of bacon with an egg, so what could the 8 be?) 83 - Ethel's ear, or is it 'ere (why?) I DO realize that the majority of these nicknames are not the most common, or usual, nickname for the respective number but these numbers ARE quoted in some sources and I AM trying to compile a fairly comprehensive list.

Any help would be appreciated Many thanks Adjectives, colo(u)rs and numbers spoken here This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Maria Conlon: I am developing some tasks for my TEFL students that include playing Bingo - also known as Tombola (Royal Navy), ... of "number nicknames" that are used when calling out the numbers during play - e.g. "number eight - garden gate". 75 - Big Daddy (why?) In U.S. Bingo, 75 is the largest number. Thus, "Big Daddy" or "Old Man." Note: In U.S. Bingo, the letter is always called with the number. So 75 is O-75. B-12 The Vitamin Number. B-4 And after. G-55 Double nickel. I've forgotten most of the Bingo "number nicknames"; it's been many years since I've been to the church hall on Wednesday evening. But you mentioned 50 (Five Oh), and in our area, when G-50 was called, there was always someone who would yell out Five Oh, Jack.

I don't know why unless it had something to do with Jack Lord in the "Hawaii Five O" TV show. Maria Conlon ... This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Anonymous: 75 - Big Daddy (why?) In U.S. Bingo, 75 is the largest number. Thus, "Big Daddy" or "Old Man." Note: In U.S. Bingo, the letter is always called with the number. So 75 is O-75. Thanks - one solved! B-12 The Vitamin Number. B-4 And after. G-55 Double nickel. I've forgotten most of the Bingo "number ... I don't know why unless it had something to do with Jack Lord in the "Hawaii Five O" TV show. Exactly - here's my 50 list: 50.. Bull's eye (darts), Blind 50, Half a century, Snow White's number(see notes), Hawaii Five-O (TV series) 55..

Snakes alive, All the fives, Double nickels, Give us fives, Bunchof fives Paulo ... This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed Looking for ESL work?: Try our EFL / TOEFL / ESL Jobs Section! Roland Hutchinson: 80 - Gandhi's breakfast (anyone know? I know that 10 in the Navy is sailor's breakfast - a rasher of bacon with an egg, so what could the 8 be?) I'm no bingo maven, but I can at least do this one: With each digit pronounced separately as "eight nought", it's homonymous with "(Gandhi) ate nought (for his breakfast, since he was on a spiritual fast and/or a political hunger strike)". "Nought" is both a name for the digit "0" (which as a speaker of American English I call "zero") and a (mostly regional or dialect) synonym for "nothing" (also spelt "naught" in both meanings, but, I think, especially for the latter). Roland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food.

NB mail to my.spamtrap (at) verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. ... This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Anonymous: 80 - Gandhi's breakfast (anyone know? I know that 10 ... bacon with an egg, so what could the 8 be?) I'm no bingo maven, but I can at least do this one: With each digit pronounced separately as "eight ... (mostly regional or dialect) synonym for "nothing" (also spelt "naught" in both meanings, but, I think, especially for the latter). Wow! Thanks Roland! "Another one bites the dust" Paulo For Sale: 50 Gandhi books ... This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Dr Robin Bignall: I am developing some tasks for my TEFL students that include playing Bingo - also known as Tombola (Royal Navy), ... respective number but these numbers ARE quoted in some sources and I AM trying to compile a fairly comprehensive list.

From childhood I remember: 2 - two little ducks (don't ask me why) 3 - look at me 11 - legs eleven (same origin but with no name) 16 - sweet sixteen 21 - key of the door (age of majority at that time) 66 - clickety-click For such numbers as 22, 33, 44 etc. the caller would shout "all of the threes, 33" etc. Bingo was called "Housey Housey" on the fairgrounds then (1940s and 50s), and a winner would shout "House". wrmst rgrds This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Ross Howard: (snip bingo-number list) From childhood I remember: 2 - two little ducks (don't ask me why) (a) No, "two little ducks" denotes 22; (b) the number "2" looks like a ducky, swanny fowl-type thing.

If you look really closely, you'll see that the number "22" contains two of these ducky, swanny fowl-type things, hence the really clever "two little du..." Oh, never mind. 3 - look at me 7 - (something mentioning heaven) 11 - legs eleven (same origin but with no name) For some reason too close to home, perhaps? you forgot the best known of all: 13 - unlucky for some. 16 - sweet sixteen 21 - key of the door (age of majority at that time) That should be "key *to* the door". Ah, there's another one you forgot again, too close to home, perhaps: 47 - AK. 66 - clickety-click For such numbers as 22, 33, 44 etc. the caller would shout "all of the threes, 33" etc. That should be "all the threes" no "of". Nice going, Doc only one incorrect number, one missed-out obvious one and two presposition errors. And it was bang (as in machine-gun fire) on-topic.

For some better-remembered 50s bingo calls, you might try: Now about those machine-gun toting Bostik snorters . . . . Ross Howard ... This thread originates from within 'usenet', and as such the content and users are not guaranteed to have been moderated by our community. Anonymous: From childhood I remember: 2 - two little ducks (don't ask me why) Because the "2" digit looks like a duck, as with the "7" digit which resembles a crutch 27.. Little duck with a crutch, Gateway to heaven 3 - look at me 7 - (something mentioning heaven) 11 - legs eleven (same origin but with no name) 16 - sweet sixteen 21 - key of the door (age of majority at that time) 66 - clickety-click 2.. One little duck, Baby's done it (pooh-faeces), Doctor Who (TVSeries), Me and you 3.. Time for tea, Cup of tea, Dearie me, I'm free, Debbie McGee, Youand me, One little flea 7..

Lucky seven, God's in heaven, One little crutch (appearance) 11.. Legs eleven, Legs - they're lovely, Kelly's legs number eleven,Chicken legs 16.. Sweet sixteen (song title), She's lovely, Never been kissed(hardly likely in this day and age!) 21.. Key of the door, Royal salute (# of guns fired) 66.. Clickety click, All the sixes For such numbers as 22, 33, 44 etc. the caller would shout "all of the threes, 33" etc. Agreed Bingo was called "Housey Housey" on the fairgrounds then (1940s and 50s), and a winner would shout "House". This name apparently was introduced in the British army version of the game. Just as "In the Navy" it was called "Tombola" - a Maltese term. Some interesting ones are: 9 "Doctor's orders" - in WWII doctors put a 9 p.m. curfew on sicknotes. 49 "PC" = Police Constable - PC49: name of a post-war BBC radioseries. Thanks for your input.

If anyone is interested let me know and I'll post the completed document (when ready) to an appropriate binary group. Paulo ... Bingo Number Names History And Meanings Part 3: Calls 46 - 90 - Bingo History - Playing Bingo 48. Four dozen 49. Rise and Shine, PC 49, Copper, Nick-Nick. ‘PC 49’ is taken from the popular radio show that was broadcast by the BBC from 1947 to 1953: ‘Incidents in the career of Police Constable Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby’. This call, unlike the call for 22, ‘PC Parker’ has evolved over time to become ‘Copper’, and later to borrow the working class comedian Jim Davidson’s catch phrase ‘Nick Nick’ (c.1977). 50. Blind fifty. Bull’s Eye (on a dart board). 51. The Highland Div[ision], Tweak of the Thumb, I Love My Mum. The 51st Highland Division was a first line division of the territorial force, formed in 1908. They saw continuous front-line action during the First World War.

[ 1 ] The other two calls here are rhymes. 52. The Lowland Div[ision], Danny La Rue, Weeks of the Year. The 52nd were a Territorial Army division and saw action in the first and second world wars. Danny La Rue became famous in the early 1960s as a glamorous drag artist and entertainer, especially on the BBC television programme ‘The Good Old Days’. 53. The Welsh Div[ision], Stuck in the Tree. The 53rd were a Territorial Army division and saw action in the First and Second World Wars. 54. Clean the Floor. A simple rhyme. 55. All the fives, Snakes Alive. Snakes Alive was a phrase used in American comic strips of the inter-war and immediate post-war era, including in Little Orphan Annie. 56. Five and Six. 57. Heinz Varieties, All the Beans, Heinz. Heinz canned products have been available in Britain throughout the twentieth century. The ‘Heinz 57 Varieties’ slogan was first used in 1896. The origin of the slogan was an advertisement for ‘21 styles of shoes’.

Henry John Heinz thought he could adopt a similar slogan but that his own products were varieties. The number 57 does not relate to the number of products made by the company, which was greater than 57 even in 1896, but rather to the significance of the 5 and 7 to Henry Heinz and his wife. [ 2 ] 58. Make them Wait. A simple rhyme. 59. The Brighton Line. This call also survives, although seemingly only in the south of England. It was heard in Folkestone and Margate during July 2002. The call has Royal Navy origins: The LBSG fare from Portsmouth to London was 5/9. 60. Blind sixty, Three Score. 61. Baker’s Bun. A simple rhyme. 62. Turn of the Screw, Tickety-boo, To Waterloo. ‘To Waterloo’ is a Royal Navy call; the LSW fare from Portsmouth to London was 6/2. Tickety-boo is army slang for something being satisfactory, and was first recorded in 1939.

[ 3 ] ‘Turn of the Screw’ was a popular novella first published in 1898. 63. Tickle Me. A simple rhyme. 64. Red Raw, When I’m Sixty-Four, The Beatles Number. Red Raw is one of the many rhyming calls with no particular origin; the other two calls have origins in the 1960s, with the song ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ released by The Beatles in 1967. 65. Old Age Pension, Stop Work. The Contributory Pensions Act (1925) introduced a 10s per week pension for manual workers and those earning up to £250 per year. 66. Clickety-click, All the sixes, Clickety Click This is onomatopoeic – sounding like sixty six and has become shorthand for bingo, and was used in the famous Monty Python sketch that parodied ideas of Britishness.

In the sketch Russian and Chinese characters famously confused cricket with the clickety-click used in bingo; the characters assumed that all the British played both cricket and bingo; the joke lies in the failure to understand the class distinctions that ran through the various games of cricket, bridge and bingo. 67. Made in Heaven. A simple rhyme. 68. Saving Grace. This could be linked to the hymn Amazing Grace: it seems unlikely to be linked to the novel of that title as it was published in 1981 and was not a huge popular success. Although the novel was adapted as a film and had some success it does not seem the most likely source for the call which appears in sources from the 1950s. 69. Whichever way you look at it (see number six), Meal for Two, Your place or mine? ‘Meal for Two’ appears to refer to the introduction of Chinese takeaway meals in Britain, where orders were often placed simply using the numbers on the menu boards. ‘Your place or mine’ has sexual connotations. ‘Whichever way you look at it’ refers to the fact that the numbers appear the same both ways up. 70. Three Score and Ten.

A numerical call, a score is 20, so 3 score and 10 = 70. 71. Bang on a Drum. A simple rhyme. 72. Par for the Course. A surprisingly middle-class entrant into the calls, referring to the game of golf; although of course in popular idiom the phase is used in response to ‘how are you?’ to mean that you are ‘OK’ and it may have moved into bingo from this route rather than from golf. 73. Queen Bee. A simple rhyme. 75. Strive & Strive, Big Daddy, On the Skive. Big Daddy was a professional wrestler, (Shirley Crabtree 1930-1997) who had a popular following amongst women as well as men; however, the link to the number 75 is not clear. However, the call might also come from the states where the numbers used are 1-75, rather than 1-90 as in the UK, making 75 the highest number, although in the States this number is more commonly called Granddaddy of Bingo. The other calls for this number are simple rhymes. 76. Was she worth it?

Was she? Trombones. ‘Was she worth it?’ This call again relates to pre-decimal coinage and is still in use. The phrase has been reputed as having one of two meanings; either the cost of a good night out with a girl (cinema, fish and chip supper and bed and breakfast) or the cost of a marriage licence. 77. Sunset Strip, All the sevens. ‘77 Sunset Strip’ was an American detective show, made between 1958 and 1964 by Warner Brothers. It was broadcast in the UK in the early 1960s as prime time entertainment on ATV, following ‘Saturday Night at the London Palladium’ in 1962 and 1963. 78. Heaven’s Gate. Another call linked to rail travel, express trains would go ‘straight on through’ smaller stations. 83. Time for Tea. 84. Seven Dozen 85. Staying Alive. This was a hit song for the Bee Gees (1977), from the film Saturday Night Fever. 86. Between the Sticks. This phrase is borrowed from football terminology for goalkeepers. 87.

Torquay in Devon. A simple rhyme. 88. Two Fat Ladies, Connaught Rangers, All the Eights. The Connaught Rangers are the 88th Regiment of Foot, while ‘Two Fat Ladies’ is a visual pun, borrowed from bingo for a popular BBC television-cooking programme featuring Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson first broadcast in 1997. 89. Nearly There. 90. Top of the house, As Far as We Go, End of the Line. The significance of the railways in the lives of the player, both in the military and civilians after the war is clear. Five calls use railway terms, or in the case of ‘As far as we go', bus and rail. Conclusions. Although calls have now largely disappeared, especially from commercial cash bingo, even the modern, automated game still starts with the traditional, ‘Eyes Down’; a signal for silence to descend over the players, while games run at amusement arcades and for charity often make use of the traditional calls, considering them to be central to providing a traditional game of bingo.

Despite the declining use of bingo calls, started by the birth of commercial bingo and the push towards a faster, more mechanised game, what emerges is a story of a language that has evolved over time to reflect popular culture, and that has kept many calls dating back to the British origins of the game, as a gambling activity of the military or a seaside and fairground amusement. The oldest surviving calls date back to the Edwardian music hall and the stars, songs and catchphrases most popular with the working classes, including Vesta Tilly (thirty - Burlington Bertie, c1900) the comedian Charles Austin (forty-nine - PC Parker c1910) and sentimental ballads such as ‘Sweet Sixteen’ (c1898), but recorded many times before the Second World War, were fertile sources of language transfer. The calls collected in this research included many military references, especially to the regimental nicknames of regiments that fought in both World Wars, as well as calls that relate to the cost of train travel between London and Plymouth, references to Naval personnel going on leave.

Military games shared a common language with civilian games to a large extent, with the military calls that relate to regiments long since amalgamated still used in games played in ex-servicemen’s clubs. Other calls still in use link closely to pre-decimal coinage. For example seventy-six has the call ‘Was she worth it?’ This is attributed either to the cost of a marriage licence, or a night out followed by bed and breakfast. It is certainly the case that creativity in the use of language is enhanced rather than dimmed by bingo calls, yet they also serve another purpose. By the memorability of the phrases, through the use of techniques such as ellipsis and concision, the lexicography of bingo demonstrates that what researchers describe as the restricted language code of the working classes is a code that allows for cultural transmission across generations. The thinking public do not generally consider that bingo is a game worthy of serious consideration, yet the language of bingo, the phrases and terminology, have become popular clichés, entering the consciousness of the thinking public in a way that much that represents working class culture has not.

About Bingo Numbers And The Names Associated With Them - Guides - Playing Bingo You are here: Home » Land Bingo » Guides » About Bingo Numbers And The Names Associated With Them About Bingo Numbers And The Names Associated With Them Tweet Introduction - A Duck And A Crutch - Twenty Seven! In my past experience, one of the first things most people mention when going to play bingo for the first time is the numbers. They'll say something like 'Ha ha, will it be two fat ladies and all that stuff?' The answer often disappoints, because most people new to the game don't realise that the modern large club has done away with the funny names for the numbers. Many smaller venues (normally not part of the national chains) or social clubs where bingo is played use the number names still, but the places you'll still hear them these days are becoming less and less. Them Old Numbers Just Don't Cut It These Days... There are a couple of rough reasons why the old names were phased out. In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons is commercial: losing the names means the games are called faster which means more games, which in turn means more profits for the clubs. The second reason is technology.

There was initially a time the names were used in the big clubs - which can be traced back to before the advent of the computerised number generating systems. When the games were called using blowers there was enough of a delay to allow the call back of the names. Having spoken to many regular players who'd played both styles of numbers, a larger proportion seemed happier with the new swifter version. However, they missed the variety of games that they used to play - marking off shapes and corners on tickets etc. In fact in my experience, many of the regulars would shout for you to speed up if the calling speed dropped to a slower level. Whether this bears out around the country is to be discovered. The Origins Of The Numbers It appears a lot of the numbers were derived from a number of places - a lot seem to have come from Cockney rhyming slang '33 - dirty knees!' or similar rhyming schemes. Also, famous numbers make a showing so 50 is 'Bullseye' and 65 'Old age pension'.

There are also some numbers with origins in the unlikeliest of places - 39 Those famous steps, from the book 'The 39 Steps' and 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd from Psalm 23 in 'The Bible'. A number have also come from the shapes of the numbers and what they look similar to. As well as that, there are often combinations. So whilst a 2 is a duck and 7 a crutch, then 27 is a duck on a crutch. And just to further confuse matters, there are many regional variations on numbers as well. Collected in the next section are a selection of them for you. It is, I stress, far from complete and thanks to variations and fashions, not necessarily fully accurate. If you can flesh out the numbers, or have info we can add - don't hesitate to contact us with details. Bingo Numbers And Their Names - The Modern Calling Style The modern game has some fairly specific calling patterns, to aid recognition of the numbers and ease of delivery. In the big clubs and the chains, the old names are sadly missing. The numbers will come at you quickly in a modern club - the patterns are like this.

All double digit numbers (bar some exceptions), let's say 45, would be pronounced thus: Four and five, forty five. If it's a single digit number, such as 2, then it's: Two, on its own, number 2. The exception the double digit pronunciation rule are when is when it's a double digit number with both digits the same. So 88 would be pronounced: All the eights, eighty eight. Most modern callers pretty much stick to that pattern, but there are variations on it - and occasionally you hear the odd echo of the old names. I've heard some callers do a nine oh, blind ninety, but they are few and far between in my experience. Bingo Numbers And Their Names - The Old Style Collected here is a selection of the old names. It is, I stress, far from complete and thanks to variations and fashions, not necessarily fully accurate. If you can flesh out the numbers, or have info we can add - don't hesitate to contact us with details.

1 Kelly's eye 2 One little duck | Me and you 3 You and me 4 Knock at the door 5 Man alive 7 Lucky seven | God's in heaven 8 One Fat Lady 12 One dozen, One and two - a dozen, Monkey's cousin (rhymes with 'a dozen') 13 Unlucky for some, Devil's number, Baker's dozen 14 Valentines day 15 Rugby team, Young and keen 16 Sweet sixteen | Never been kissed 17 Often been kissed | 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 26 Bed and breakfast | Half a crown | Pick and mix 27 Little duck with a crutch | Gateway to heaven 28 In a state | Overweight 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 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 | Des Eerie 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 | Par for the course 73 Crutch and a flea | Queen B 74 Candy store

Question: Which number do bingo callers link with “The Brighton Line”?
Answer: 59