Bingo calls are the numbers that are drawn randomly during a game of bingo, over time bingo callers have developed rhyming slang for these numbers. This helps the bingo player remember what call was last, as the rhyme forms an association with the number. These calls sometimes change with the times, but the traditional list of calls goes something like this:
Bingo Numbers
1. Kelly’s Eye
2. One Little Duck
3. Cup of tea
4. Knock at the Door
5. Man Alive
6. Tom Nix
7. God’s in Heaven
8. Garden Gate
9. Doctor’s Orders – In World War 2 the British pill “Number 9” was a laxative.
10. Gordon’s Den (changes with each Prime Minister).
11. Legs Eleven
12. One Dozen
13. Unlucky for Some
14. Valentines Day
15. Young and keen
16. Sweet Sixteen
17. Dancing Queen
18. Coming of Age
19. Goodbye Teens
20. One Score
21. Key of the Door
22. Two Little Ducks
23. Thee and Me
24. Two dozen
25. 25 Duck and Dive
26. Pick and Mix
27. Gateway to Heaven
28. Over Weight
29. Rise and Shine
30. Burlington Bertie
31. Get up and Run
32. Buckle my Shoe
33. Dirty
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. P.C. Copper
50. Half a Century
51. Tweak of the Thumb
52. Danny La Rue
53. Stuck in the Tree
54. Clean the Floor
55. Snakes Alive
56. Was she worth it?
57. Heinz Varieties
58. Make them Wait
59. Brighton Line – The London to Brighton bus service was the number 59.
60. Five Dozen
61. Bakers Bun
62. Turn on the Screw
63. Tickle Me
64. Red Raw
65. Old Age Pension – The age of retirement in the UK.
66. Clickety Click
67. Made in Heaven
68. Saving Grace
69. Meal for Two
70. Three Score and Ten
71. Bang on the Drum
72. Six Dozen
73. Queen Bee
74. Candy Store
75. Strive and Strive
76. Was She Worth It – The cost of a wedding license used to be 7 shillings and sixpence.
77. All the Sevens
78. Heavens Gate
79. One More Time
80. Eight and Blank
81. Stop and Run
82. Straight on Through
83. Time for Tea
84. Seven Dozen
85. Staying Alive
86. Between the Sticks
87. Torquay in Devon
88. Two fat ladies
89. Nearly there
90. Top of the Shop
Bingo Calls
Of course it is completely unnecessary to learn all of these bingo calls before you are able to play bingo, but they do become familiar with time, and you will soon find yourself calling along.
