Bingo is fun, but lets face it all the calls and nicknames can be a little confusing to the uninitiated so I would like to bring you a complete list of what they are – getting to know them and being able to use them will really help.
1. Kelly’s eye (after one-eyed Australian gangster Ned Kelly), Little Jimmy, First on the board
2. Little duck, Me and you, Home alone, Peek a boo
3. One little flea, Cup of tea, Monkey on the tree
4. The one next door, On the floor, Shut the door
5. One little snake, Man alive
6. Chopsticks, Tom’s tricks, In a fix
7. Hockey stick, Crutch, Lucky seven, God’s in heaven, David Beckham
8. One fat lady, At the gate
9. Doctor’s orders
10. Downing street, Big fat hen, Cock and hen, Uncle Ben
11. Legs, Chicken legs, Skinny legs
12. One dozen, One doz’ if one can
13. Unlucky for some, Bakers’ dozen
14. Valentines day
15. Rugby team
16. Sweet sixteen, Never been kissed
17. Dancing queen (from the Abba song of the same name), Posh and Becks
18. Key of the door, Coming of age
19. Goodbye teens
20. Blind 20, One score
21. Royal salute, Key of the door
22. Two little ducks
23. A duck and a flea, The Lord’s my shepherd (from Psalm 23)
24. Two dozen
25. Duck and dive
26. Bed and breakfast (traditional price was 2 shillings 6 pence), Half a crown (equivalent to 2 shillings 6 pence)
27. Gateway to heaven, Little duck with a crutch
28. Duck and its mate
29. Rise and shine
30. Dirty Gertie, Speed limit
31. Get up and run
32. Buckle my Shoe
33. Two little fleas, Sherwood forest (all the trees)
34. Ask for more
35. Jump and jive, Flirty wives
36. Three dozen
37. A flea in heaven
38. Christmas cake
39. All the steps (from the 1935 Hitchcock film), Jack Benny
40. Two score, Life begins at, Naughty 40
41. Life’s begun, Time for fun
42. Whinny the Poo
43. Down on your knees
44. All the fours
45. Halfway house, Halfway there
46. Up to tricks
47. Four and seven
48. Four dozen
49. PC (for police constable), Copper
50. Bulls eye, Half a century, Hawaii five O
51. I love my mum
52. Weeks in a year, Pack ‘o cards
53. Stuck in the tree, The joker
54. Clean the floor
55. Snakes alive, All the fives
56. Was she worth it? (From the original price of a wedding contract)
57. Heinz varieties, All the beans
58. Make them wait, Choo choo Thomas
59. Brighton line (the London-Brighton engine was number 59)
60. Three score, Five dozen
61. Bakers bun
62. Tickety boo, Turn on the screw
63. Tickle me
64. The Beatles number, Red raw
65. Old age pension
66. Clickety click, All the sixes
67. Made in heaven
68. Saving grace
69. Either way up, The French connection
70. Three score and ten
71. Bang on the drum, Lucky one
72. A crutch and a duck, Par for the course (from golf)
73. Crutch with a flea, Lucky three
74. Candy store, Grandmamma of Bingo, Lucky four
75. Granddaddy of Bingo, Lucky five
76. Trombones, Lucky six
77. All the sevens, Two little crutches, The double hockey stick, Lucky seven
78. Heavens gate, Lucky eight
79. Lucky nine
80. Gandhi’s breakfast, Eight and blank
81. Fat lady and a little wee, Stop and run
82. Fat lady with a duck, Straight on through
83. Fat lady with a flea, Time for tea, Ethel’s Ear
84. Seven dozen
85. Staying alive
86. Between the sticks
87. Fat lady with a crutch
88. Two fat ladies, Wobbly wobbly, All the eights
89. Nearly there, All but one
90. Top of the shop, Top of the house, End of the line
So get learning these phrases and practise them when you are playing the game – either in an online bingo room or offline down at your local bingo hall. But most of all enjoy yourself!