British bingo is the most popular variation of bingo. If you’d like to play it, you need to know how numbers are called in this 90-ball game. As Britons use special nicknames for all 90 numbers, here you have all British bingo calls explained.
Players can find various types of bingo in halls and online casinos. British bingo is probably the oldest and most popular among them. It is played with 90 balls numbered from 1 to 90 and with a 9×3 card. To win at British bingo, players need to cover the whole card which contains fifteen numbers arranged in random order.
Predictably, British bingo is the most popular bingo game in the UK. The game is also played in some European countries, Russia, India, Australia, and New Zealand. However, Britons are the most dedicated players of British (90 Ball) bingo who have even given all numbers their own nicknames. Let’s take a look at them!
How did British bingo calls originate?
All British bingo calls or nicknames originated in London in the middle of the 20th century. Initially, they were used to hide the true meanings of secret messages. Later on, these nicknames became popular among bingo players.
British bingo nicknames are mostly based on rhymes, so they could be easily identified. Take a look at the list below to have all 90 British bingo calls explained. If you are a big fan of bingo, you can even learn them by heart to impress your fellow players in bingo halls.
If you prefer playing bingo online, take a look at the latest online bingo bonuses. So, let’s get started with all the traditional bingo calls in Britain!
All 90 British bingo calls explained
1 – Kelly’s Eye. A military slang or a reference to Ned Kelly.
2- One Little Duck. A duck resembles number two by its shape.
3- Cup of Tea. Tea rhymes with three.
4 – Knock at the Door. Based on “One, Two, Buckle my shoe; Three, Four, Knock at the door”.
5 – Man Alive. Alive rhymes with five.
6 – Tom Mix. Mix rhymes with six.
7 – Lucky Seven. 7 is believed to be a lucky number in most cultures.
8 – Garden Gate. Gate rhymes with eight.
9 – Doctor’s Orders / Brighton Line. A pill used in WWII / the British railway line.
10 – PM’s Den. Put the PM who is currently living at 10 Downing Street (e.g. Boris’s Den).
11 – Legs Eleven. The resemblance of two legs.
12 – One Dozen. 12 units in one dozen.
13 – Unlucky for Some. 13 is believed to be an unlucky number in most cultures.
14 – Valentine’s Day. February 14.
15 – Young and Keen. Keen rhymes with fifteen.
16 – Sweet Sixteen / Never Been Kissed. Celebration of 16 / reference to a song Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed.
17 – Dancing Queen. ABBA’s song.
18 – Coming of Age. Age of majority.
19 – Goodbye Teens. Last year of being a teenager.
20 – One Score. 20 units in one score.
21 – Royal Salute. 21-gun salute.
22 – Two Little Ducks. Two ducks resemble twenty-two.
23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. In the Old Testament, these are the first words of Psalm 23.
24 – Two Dozen. 12 x 2 = 24 (see 12).
25 – Duck and Dive. A duck resembles 2, while 5 resembles a “diving” upside-down duck.
26 – Pick and Mix. Mix rhymes with 26.
27 – Gateway to Heaven / Duck and a Crutch. Rhymes with seven / a duck is two, a crutch is 7.
28 – Over Weight / In a State. Both rhyme with eight.
29 – Rise and Shine. Shine rhymes with nine.
30 – Dirty Gertie. Based on the song Dirty Gertie from Bizerte.
31 – Get Up and Run. Rhymes with one.
32 – Buckle My Shoe. Rhymes with two.
33 – Dirty Knee. Rhymes with three.
34 – Ask for More. Rhymes with four.
35 – Jump and Jive. A dance step, rhymes with five.
36 – Three Dozen. 12 x 3 = 36 (see 12).
37 – More than Eleven. Rhymes with seven.
38 – Christmas Cake. Rhyming slang.
39 – Steps. Movie The 39 Steps.
40 – Life Begins. The famous proverb “life begins at 40”
41 – Time for Fun. Rhymes with one.
42 – Winnie the Pooh. Rhymes with two.
43 – Down on Your Knees. A phrase used by soldiers.
44 – Droopy Drawers. A reference to sagging underwear.
45 – Halfway There. 45 is half of 90.
46 – Up to Tricks. Rhymes with six.
47 – Four and Seven. 4 and 7 are 47.
48 – Four Dozen. 12 x 4 = 48 (see 12).
49 – PC. Radio series The Adventures of PC 49
50 – It’s a Bullseye / Half a Century. A score in darts / 50 years.
51 – Tweak of the Thumb. Rhymes with one.
52 – Deck of Cards. Number of cards in a deck.
53 – Stuck in the Tree. Rhymes with three.
54 – Clean the Floor / Man at the Door. Both rhyme with four.
55 – All the Fives. Two fives are 55.
56 – Shotts Bus. The number of the bus to Shotts.
57 – Heinz Varieties. Slogan “Heins 57” of the famous company.
58 – Make Them Wait. Rhymes with eight.
59 – Brighton Line. Rhymes with nine.
60 – Five Dozen. 12 x 5 = 60 (see 12)
61 – Bakers Bun. Rhymes with one.
62 – Turn the Screw. Rhymes with two.
63 – Tickle Me. Rhymes with three.
64 – Red Raw / Almost Retired. Rhymes with four / one year away from retirement
65 – Old Age Pension / Retirement Age. Age of retirement in Britain.
66 – Clickety Click. Rhymes with six.
67 – Made in Heaven / Stairway to Heaven. Both rhyme with seven.
68 – Saving Grace. Rhymes with eight.
69 – Either Way Up / Meal for Two. 69 can be read upside down.
70 – Three Score and Ten. One score is 20, so 20 * 3 = 60 and 60 + 10 = 70.
71 – Bang on the Drum. Rhymes with one.
72 – Six Dozen. 12 x 6 = 72 (see 12).
73 – Queen Bee / Under the Tree. Rhymes with three.
74 – Candy Store / Hit the Floor. Rhymes with four.
75 – Strive and Strive. Rhymes with five.
76 – Trombones. Song Seventy Six Trombones.
77 – Two Little Crutches. Two 7s resemble two crutches.
78 – 39 More Steps. 38 + 39 = 78, where 39 is a reference to the movie (see 39).
79 – One More Time. Rhymes with nine.
80 – Eight and Blank. Made of 8 and 0, where 0 means nothing
81 – Stop and Run. Rhymes with one.
82 – Straight On Through. Rhymes with two.
83 – Time for Tea. Rhymes with three.
84 – Seven Dozen / Give me More. Rhymes with four.
85 – Staying Alive. Rhymes with five.
86 – Between the Sticks. The goalkeeper’s position.
87 – Torquay in Devon. Rhymes with seven.
88 – Two Fat Ladies. Two 8s resemble the silhouettes of two fat ladies.
89 – Nearly There / Almost There. One step away from 90.
90 – Top of the Shop. The last number in bingo.
