Search results
This is a list of British bingo nicknames. In the game of bingo in the United Kingdom, callers announcing the numbers have traditionally used some nicknames to refer to particular numbers if they are drawn. The nicknames are sometimes known by the rhyming phrase 'bingo lingo' and there are rhymes for each number from 1 to 90, some of which date ...
- Kelly's Eye - Like many slang expressions, the origins of this bingo call is a little uncertain. Some say Kelly's Eye is a reference to the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, who some believed only had one eye.
- One Little Duck, Me and You, Baby’s Done, Kelly’s Cousin - This is the first of the visual clues, which pop up regularly among the bingo calls. You might have noticed the written number 2 resembles One Little Duck swimming.
- Cup of Tea, Goodness Me, A Flea - It’s hardly surprising, given that a quarter of us get through five or more a day, that the nation’s favourite drink a Cup of Tea remains among our most enduring bingo calls.
- Knock at the Door - A simple rhyme.
- Bingo Number Names History and Meanings Part 1: Introduction
- Two Fat Ladies, Clickety-Click: Rhyming Bingo Calls & The English Language
- Bingo Number Names History and Meanings Part 2: Calls 1 – 45
- The Calls – Part 1
- Bingo Number Names History and Meanings Part 3: Calls 46 – 90
- The Calls – Part 2
- Conclusions.
- Footnotes
In her latest piece for Playing Bingo, historian Dr Carolyn Downs takes a look at the history of bingo number calls, their importance and their origins. Author: Carolyn Downs
If you were to ask a group of people what they know about bingo it is pretty certain that rhyming calls would be one thing that they could all identify as being part of the game. They would probably also be able to remember several of them too, ‘two fat ladies, 88’ or ‘two little ducks’. Except that, as bingo players know very well, rhyming calls h...
Part two of Dr Carolyn Downs history of bingo number calls, their importance and their origins. Author: Carolyn Downs
This list is by no means conclusive; bingo calls vary between towns, between settings and between callers; similarly, some that appear to be either rhymes or visual puns may have other meanings too, that have not yet been tracked down. 1. Kelly’s eye, Buttered Scone, At the Beginning, Nelson’s Column, Little Jimmy. There is no agreement about the o...
Part three of Dr Carolyn Downs’ history of bingo number calls, their importance and their origins. Author: Carolyn Downs
This list is by no means conclusive; bingo calls vary between towns, between settings and between callers; similarly, some that appear to be either rhymes or visual puns may have other meanings too, that have not yet been tracked down. 46. Up to Tricks. A simple rhyme. 47. Four and Seven. 48. Four dozen 49. Rise and Shine, PC 49, Copper, Nick-Nick....
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 providin...
PRO Mepol 3/765. Denis Winter, Death’s Men – The Soldiers of the Great War, London, 1978, p.154. PRO Mepol 3/765 Statements of Woman Police Sergeant Stratton and Woman Police Constable Cross. Tim Gracyk, Popular American Recording Pioneers: 1895-1925, (Birmingham NY, 2000) The English Music Hall Tom Mix Museum. Harry Tate was killed in a German ...
- Number 1 – “Kelly’s Eye”. Said to be UK military slang, “Kelly’s eye” supposedly refers to Ned Kelly’s helmet. The long, thin eye slot was said to look like the number 1.
- Number 2 – “One little duck”. This number got its nickname from its shape. The number 2 resembles a duck bobbing on the water. If you’re struggling to see it, think of a rubber duck with its beak pointing to the left.
- Number 3 – “Cup of tea”. As you might guess, this one comes from cockney rhyming slang, which is commonly used with bingo calls. Another name sometimes used for 3 is “one little flea”, supposedly because the number looks a bit like a flea.
- Number 4 – “Knock at the door”. Another one that uses cockney rhyming slang. The phrase “knock at the door” comes from the well-known nursery rhyme One, Two Buckle My Shoe.
Don’t know your “little duck” from your “Winnie the Pooh”? Here is a complete list of bingo terms to help you understand bingo number names and more.
Sep 1, 2024 · Bingo terms or bingo phrases spread not only in the UK, but worldwide. So naturally, you will find bingo slang changes whether you’re playing bingo in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia or anywhere — you’ll read a sample of global pop culture references below!
People also ask
Why are Bingo numbers called 'bingo lingo'?
Why do some bingo calls have a military name?
What does a bingo caller do?
Are bingo calls a rhyming slang?
Why do Bingo Players use nicknames?
What does number 8 look like in Bingo?
Jul 12, 2024 · What are British Bingo Calls? British bingo nicknames are a unique set of nicknames given to each number in the game. The bingo caller uses the calls to announce the numbers as they are drawn, and they are an essential part of the game’s fun and social atmosphere.