Where Bingo Rocks!
Bingo Lingo & Glossary
If you are new to Bingo, then you may not yet be familiar with all the expressions frequently used in chat. Not to worry! We have put together the most commonly used acronyms:
| 1TG | 2TG | asap |
| 1 Bingo Ball to Bingo | 2 Bingo Balls to Bingo | As Soon As Possible |
| brb | btw | cya |
| Be Right Back | By The Way | See You Later |
| fyi | gg | glev1 |
| For Your Information | Good Game | Good Luck Everyone |
| hagd | hb | imho |
| Have a Good Day | Hurry Back! | In My Honest Opinion |
| jp | jk | k |
| Jackpot | Just Kidding | OK |
| lol | lmao | np |
| Laugh Out Loud | Laughing My A$$ Off | No Problem |
| omg | pm | plz |
| Oh My Gosh | Private Message | Please |
| rofl | sry | thx |
| Rolling on The Floor Laughing | Sorry | Thanks |
| ty | tyvm | ttyl |
| Thank You | Thank You Very Much | Talk to You Later |
| wb | wd | wtg |
| Welcome Back | Well Done | Way to Go |
| yw | yvw | |
| You're Welcome | You're Very Welcome |
The glossary below is an amazing resource for both new and experienced bingo players. It shows how bingo call outs have touched every corner of British society, and have been influenced by cockney rhyming slang, archaic war time expressions, and even famous faces like Booby Moore and the Bee Gees. So, if you have ever wondered why the 33 ball is sometimes called "Sherwood Forest", or you would like to know what number "P.C.", "a flea in heaven", or "one score" refers to, then read on.
| 1 | Kelly's Eye | Named after the one-eyed Australian gangster, Ned Kelly. |
| 2 | One Little Duck | We've always thought that ducks look like little 2's. |
| 3 | One Little Flea | On its side, a flea looks like a three. Oops, I meant a three looks like a flea. They're so similar, after all. |
| 4 | Bobby Moore | Legendary English footballer who captained the England team that won the 1966 World Cup |
| 5 | One Little Snake | More likely a snake with a kink in it. Kinky snake. |
| 6 | Tom Mix | Thomas Edwin aka Tom Mix, was an American film actor and the star of 336 silent Western movies. |
| 7 | One Little Crutch | One Little Crutch refers to the shape of the number seven. |
| 8 | Harry Tate | Ronald Hutchinson aka Harry Tate was a popular music performer and was killed in WWII. |
| 9 | Doctor's Orders | During World War II, the common name for the laxative pill was a "number 9". |
| 10 | Downing Street | The name refers to whoever currently resides at Number 10 Downing Street |
| 11 | Legs Eleven | What a lovely pair of numbers. The players often wolf whistle in response. |
| 12 | Monkey's Cousin | Rhyming slang for one dozen. |
| 13 | Baker's Dozen | Bakers used to give away an extra bap. Now that's customer care. |
| 14 | Valentine's Day | A much "loved" holiday which falls on February 14th. |
| 15 | Rugby Team | A rugby team consists of 15 players. |
| 16 | Never Been Kissed | Maybe in the good old day, not so sure about these days though! |
| 17 | Dancing Queen | From the ABBA song, Dancing Queen. |
| 18 | Coming of Age | The legal age where you can marry, drink, vote and play online bingo! |
| 19 | Goodbye Teens | The last of a person's teenage years. |
| 20 | One Score | Derived from counting sheep. Shepherds would keep tally by scoring notches with every 20 sheep counted. |
| 21 | Royal Salute | A 21 gun salute is used on grand occasions such as a royal birthday. |
| 22 | Bishop Desmond | Desmond Tutu was a South African activist and the first black Archbishop of Cape Town. |
| 23 | The Lord is my Shepherd | Refers to Psalm number 23 in the Bible. |
| 24 | Pompey Whore | Said to be a nickname used by soldiers in WWII, Pompey being slang for Portsmouth. |
| 25 | Duck & Dive | A popular expression used in Boxing circles, or figuratively speaking, to "avoid something or someone". |
| 26 | Bed & Breakfast | Traditionally, B&Bs used to cost "2 and 6" (two shillings and a sixpence). |
| 27 | Duck with a Crutch | Refers to the shape of the numbers. Not actual ducks with crutches. |
| 28 | Duck & Its Mate | Another Bingo Duck reference. Quack Quack. |
| 29 | In Your Prime | An expression used to cheer people up who are feeling down about their age. |
| 30 | Burlington Bertie | Refers to a song from 1900 and its famous parody "Burlington Bertie from Bow" written in 1915. |
| 31 | Get Up & Run | This seems to be the only one… Oh my, isn't rhyming fun! |
| 32 | Buckle My Shoe | Refers to a nursery rhyme believed to be about lace makers from the 16th, 17th or 18th century, |
| 33 | Sherwood Forest | The home of Robin Hood and used as a rhyme of "threes" and "trees". |
| 34 | Ask for More | Possible reference to the famous line in "Oliver" – "please sir, can I have some more?" |
| 35 | Jump & Jive | A classic style of dance floor Boogie. |
| 36 | Three Dozens | Do the math… |
| 37 | A Flea in Heaven | A combination of the popular call outs "flea" for "three" and "Seventh Heaven" for 7. |
| 38 | Christmas Cake | Used all year round by many… Yum. |
| 39 | All the Steps | From the classic espionage book/film "The 39 Steps". |
| 40 | Blind 40 | The word "Blind" tells players that the number is just 40, with no number to follow. |
| 41 | Life's Begun | It "Life begins at 40", then at 41 it has begun. |
| 42 | That Famous Street in Manhattan | 42nd Street in Manhattan is famous largely for its theatres. |
| 43 | Down on Your Knees | Possibly popularized by soldiers during the war. |
| 44 | Droopy Drawers | Rhyme that refers to baggy trousers. |
| 45 | Halfway There | Refers to the fact that 45 is half of 90. |
| 46 | Up to Tricks | A rhyme meaning "up to no good" or mischief. |
| 47 | Four and Seven | Probably the least imaginative Bingo call-out. |
| 48 | Four Dozen | One for the math-wizards to work out. |
| 49 | PC | Police references here come from the popular 40s – 50s radio show "PC 49". |
| 50 | Bull's Eye | The number of points awarded for a bull's eye in the game of darts. |
| 51 | The Highland Div | The Highland Division were famed during WWII for their bravery and abilities to combat. |
| 52 | Danny La Rue | Famous British drag artist (1927 – 2009) |
| 53 | Here Comes Herbie | 53 is the racing number of "Herbie", the VW Beetle. Players often reply "beep, beep"! |
| 54 | House of Bamboo | Andy Williams song from 1959 has the lyric "number 54 the house with the bamboo door". |
| 55 | Bunch of Fives | Vintage Boxing expression referring to ones fists. |
| 56 | Was She Worth It? | Ye olde price of a UK marriage licence. The players shout back "Every Penny" |
| 57 | Heinz Varieties | Heinz products famously have "57 varieties" on the label originating from 1892. Now they have over 1,300. |
| 58 | Choo Choo Thomas | Frankly, what 58 has to do with "Thomas the Tank Engine" remains a mystery. |
| 59 | Brighton Line | The traditional English bus service from London to Brighton was number 59. |
| 60 | Blind 60 | Surprised that 60 doesn't have a more iconic "call out"…? |
| 61 | Baker's Bun | Another delicious rhyme. |
| 62 | Tickety Boo | Possibly a descendent of the Hindi expression "tickee babu", meaning "everything all right". |
| 63 | Tickle Me | Just another silly rhyme. |
| 64 | The Beatles Number | Refers to th e Beatles Song "When I'm 64" by the Beatles. |
| 65 | Stop Work | Retirement age for employees on England. |
| 66 | Clickety Click | An expression meaning a fast and rhythmic click-clack sound. |
| 67 | Argumentative Number | At 6s and 7s describes a state of confusion or disagreement derived from ye olde dice game "Hazard". |
| 68 | Saving Grace | "Saving Grace" was a novel by Celia Gittelson made into a film around 1986. But the Bingo connection is unknown. |
| 69 | A Meal for Two | Any Way Up – Either way, it's all the same to me. |
| 70 | Three Score & Ten | Surely, it's easier just to say "70" and leave it at that… That's tradition for you. |
| 71 | Bang on the Drum | Perhaps a subtle reference to military drummers. |
| 72 | Par for the Course | Typically, championship golf courses have a par value of 72. |
| 73 | Queen Bee | Bee careful, this ball could sting you! |
| 74 | Candy Store | Our favourite of all the rhyming call outs. |
| 75 | Big Daddy | In the US, Bingo only does to 75 making 75 the "Big Daddy" or "Granddad". |
| 76 | Trombones | Refers to the musical piece "76 Trombones" typically played at every parade you'll ever go to. |
| 77 | Sunset Strip | 77 Sunset Strip was a popular American TV Show about private detectives. |
| 78 | Heaven's Gate | 7th Heaven meets Golden Gate 8 resulting in 78, Heaven's Gate. |
| 79 | One More Time | A rhyme possibly making a joke about the repetitive nature of being a bingo balls master. |
| 80 | Gandhi's Breakfast | Gandhi was known for fasting among many other things, i.e., he ate nothing. Get it? |
| 81 | Stop & Run | It may rhyme, but it doesn't make a lot of sense… |
| 82 | Straight on Through | An expression meaning to continue, without stopping. |
| 83 | Ethel's Ear | Legend has it that Ethel was an old lady Bingo player who had very peculiar shaped ears. |
| 84 | Seven Dozen | But who's counting? |
| 85 | Staying Alive | The Bee Gees infamous hit disco song. |
| 86 | Between the Sticks | Possibly another war time expression, where soldiers would play football using sticks for goal posts. |
| 87 | Torquay in Devon | Torquay is a popular holiday destination for many a Bingo-granny. |
| 88 | Wobbly Wobbly | It might not be PC but 8's are often referred to as "fat ladies" and here we have two of them. |
| 89 | All but One | The penultimate ball. |
| 90 | End of the Line | An expression derived from train commuting. |
