Bingo Calling Numbers Explained – All 90 Numbers
1 – Kelly’s eye
2 – One little duck
3 – Cup of tea
4 – Knock at the door
5 – Man alive
6 – Tom Mix/Half a dozen
7 – Lucky seven
8 – Garden gate
9 – Doctor’s orders
10 – PM’s den
11 – Legs eleven
12 – One dozen
13 – Unlucky for some
14 – Valentine’s Day
15 – Young and keen
16 – Sweet 16
17 – Dancing queen
18 – Coming of age
19 – Goodbye teens
20 – One score
21 – Royal salute
22 – Two little ducks
23 – Thee and me
24 – Two dozen
25 – Duck and dive
26 – Pick and mix
27 – Gateway to heaven
28 – In a state/Overweight
29 – Rise and shine
30 – Dirty Gertie
31 – Get up and run
32 – Buckle my shoe
33 – All the threes
34 – Ask for more
35 – Jump and jive
36 – Three dozen
37 – More than eleven
38 – Christmas cake
39 – 39 steps
40 – Life begins
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 – PC
50 – Half a century
51 – Tweak of the thumb
52 – Danny La Rue
53 – Here comes Herbie/Stuck in a tree
54 – Clean the floor
55 – Snakes alive
56 – Shotts Bus
57 – Heinz varieties
58 – Make them wait
59 – Brighton Line
60 – Five dozen
61 – Baker’s bun
62 – Turn the screw/Tickety-boo
63 – Tickle me
64 – Red raw
65 – Old age pension
66 – Clickety click
67 – Stairway to heaven
68 – Saving Grace
69 – Favourite of mine
70 – Three score and ten
71 – Bang on the drum
72 – Six dozen
73 – Queen bee
74 – Hit the floor
75 – Strive and strive
76 – Trombones
77 – Sunset strip
78 – 39 more steps
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
Anyone who has played bingo at clubs such as BJ’s Bingo knows that one of the most memorable aspects of the game is the assorted calls made upon the revelation of each number. Even if you’ve only been to bingo once, you remember the numbers and the often comical calls that accompany them. But where do they come from and why?
As is often the case, the true answer is multi-faceted and requires a deeper dive. The below categories cover most if not all of the 90 numbers in a traditional game of UK bingo, with many numbers falling into more than one.
Read on for an explanation of bingo’s many calls…
Rhyme
The first thing you’ll notice about bingo calls is that the vast majority of them rhyme, which is no accident. Even if they do belong to one of the below categories as well, more often than not they will also rhyme with the number they’re paired with.
For example, ‘42 Winnie the Pooh’, or ‘85 staying alive.’ These rhymes make the calls more catchy, engaging and memorable for both the caller and the player.
Self-Explanatory
As well as rhyming, there are calls that are very basic and easy to understand in their construction. ‘16 Sweet Sixteen’ is a perfect example, as is ‘65 old-age pension’ and a few others. Rather than having some historic reasoning behind their use, these calls play on simple, easy-to-follow wordplay or references that even new players will understand and appreciate.
Shape
The shape of the number itself can also be a big contributing factor to the bingo call given to it. The most famous examples are ‘two little ducks 22’, and ‘legs eleven 11.’ In these instantly recognisable bingo calls, the numbers bear a clear resemblance to what is described. 22 looks like two small ducks, whilst the number 11 could easily pass for a pair of legs.
Historic
Whilst the story behind many numbers and their respective calls fall into one or more of the above, there are a few that have a richer, more interesting backstory. Some have a history behind them, a history that will go unknown for many players – until now.
‘Doctor’s Orders’ (9) relates to the name of a laxative tablet taken by soldiers during the second world war, whilst ‘Sunset Strip’ (77) refers to an old TV show. Similarly, ‘Tom Mix’ (6) is a reference to an old American movie star, and ‘Trombones’ (76) comes from a song in a musical called The Music Man.
These examples and a few more are a perfect example of the rich history involved in the intricacies and eccentricities of everyday bingo. It may be a simple game, but it’s far from dull, and the facts displayed here clearly reflect that truth.
In short, there are a number of varying origins covering the full list of wordplay bingo calls heard in halls around the UK. Whether it’s a simple rhyme, a clever shape, a self-explanatory description or something more specific – you won’t forget them anytime soon. As a result, people are sure to keep coming through the doors to play bingo.