Funny Bingo Calls and Their Meanings in the UK

You’re probably familiar with bingo calls like legs 11, two fat ladies (88) and so on. But did you know there’s a bingo call for every number from 1 to 90? 

Although it’s not necessary to know the bingo calls to play online bingo, it’s always fun to learn something new.

Read on to find out the bingo calls for numbers from 1 to 90, including a quick explanation of what they mean!

Here Are 90 Funny Bingo Calls

1. Kelly’s Eye - Some say this is a reference to Ned Kelly, the famous outlaw who was said to only have one eye.
2. One Little Duck - If you use your imagination, the shape of the number two looks a bit like a duck!
3. Cup of Tea - This rhyming phrase uses the nation’s favourite drink to signify number three.
4. Knock at the Door - A simple rhyme for number four - will fortune knock at your door?!
5. Man Alive - It was said that this expression of disbelief was originally used by sailors when they spotted someone alive in a shipwreck!
6. Tom Mix - Tom Mix was the first cowboy hero of the silent Western films.
7. Lucky Seven - The number seven has had associations with luck in many different cultures.
8. Garden Gate - There may be more to this rhyme than meets the eye – rumour has it that ‘garden gate’ was code for a secret rendezvous point!
9. Doctor’s Orders - This one comes from the military, but the exact meaning is unknown. While some say it refers to 9pm, the time that army medics closed for the night, others say it was a slang term for a laxative prescribed in the army!
10. Johnson’s Den - Number 10 is the home of the current Prime Minister (this one changes depending who it is!)
11. Legs 11 - The two number ones that make up 11 are said to look like legs.
12. One Dozen - A simple bingo call - 12 is often referred to as a dozen.
13. Unlucky for Some - The number 13 is often thought of as unlucky in some cultures. Did you know that fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia?
14. Valentine’s Day - Refers to 14th February - Valentine’s Day!
15. Young and Keen - A simple rhyming phrase with connotations of youth.
16. Sweet 16 - This one probably got its inspiration from the classic tune ‘Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed’.
17. Dancing Queen - This one is taken from the lyrics of the famous Abba song.
18. Coming of Age - The age when people are legally allowed to drink in the UK!
19. Goodbye Teens - This one refers to number 19 being the last number in the ‘teens’, before we get to the twenties.
20. One Score - A score is another way of saying 20. Some say that the term originated with shepherds, who would count 20 sheep at a time and then mark a score on their stick to keep count.
21. Royal Salute - The Royal Salute used to salute the Queen is also known as the 21 Gun Salute.
22. Two Little Ducks - It’s said that the visual shape of this number looks like two little ducks!
23. Thee and Me - A simple rhyme for number 23.
24. Two Dozen - Two dozens (2 x 12) equals 24.
25. Duck and Dive - Another visual reference - 25 is said to resemble one upright duck, and one upside-down one that has dived into the water!
26. Pick and Mix - A nostalgic reference to pick and mix sweets.
27. Gateway to Heaven - A simple rhyme for 27.
28. Overweight - Another rhyme, as well as a visual reference to number eight, which is sometimes said to look like a fat lady.
29. Rise and Shine - A simple rhyme!
30. Dirty Gertie - A rhyme that refers to the classic song ‘Dirty Gertie’, which was popular during WWII.
31. Get Up and Run - A simple rhyme for 31.
32. Buckle My Shoe - Again, this one is a fun rhyme with no particular significance.
33. Dirty Knee - Another rhyme is on the cards here.
34. Ask for More - And another, which possibly refers to Dickens’ Oliver Twist and ‘please, Sir, can I have some more?’
35. Jump and Jive - A rhyming phrase that references the popular Jive dance craze of the 1940s and 1950s.
36. Three Dozen - This one is simple maths (3 x 12 = 36).
37. More than 11 - A slightly confusing one that is in fact just a simple rhyme.
38. Christmas Cake - Cockney rhyming slang (even though it’s not a perfect rhyme!).
39. Steps - This refers to The 39 Steps, an Alfred Hitchcock film about an international spy ring.
40. Naughty 40 - A simple rhyme that may refer to the idea that the fun doesn’t stop once you reach 40 years of age!
41. Time for Fun - Another one that may refer to the idea that life begins at 40!
42. Winnie the Pooh - A rhyme that refers to everyone’s favourite bear, who was created by A. A. Milne in 1926.
43. Down on Your Knees - Another rhyme that doesn’t have much additional significance.
44. Droopy Drawers - Some say that the number 44 looks like a person with baggy trousers! What do you think?
45. Halfway There - 45 is halfway to 90 - the highest number in bingo.
46. Up to Tricks - A rhyme that suggests someone might be up to no good!
47. Four and Seven - A slightly unimaginative one!
48. Four Dozen - The maths is getting harder for these ones! 4 x 12 = 48
49. PC - A reference to a film called The Adventures of PC49, which was released in 1949!
50. Half a Century - An easy maths one this time - half of 100 is 50
51. Tweak of the Thumb - A simple rhyme that means something similar to ‘in the blink of an eye’
52. Danny La Rue - A famous Irish drag queen who was very well-known in the 1960s.
53. Stuck in the Tree - A simple rhyme for number 53.
54. Clean the Floor - Another rhyme that makes us think of household chores - boo!
55. Snakes Alive - Based on the idea that this number looks like two snakes (if you use your imagination!)
56. Was She Worth It? - A questionable one that refers to the fact that a marriage licence cost five shillings and sixpence back in the 1950s - we suppose this question would have been directed at the new husband!
57. Heinz Varieties - You may have noticed the number 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles before - did you know it refers to the number of different products in their range?
58. Make Them Wait - A simple rhyme for number 58.
59. Brighton Line - Route 59 was the train line Londoners took to head to Brighton for sunny days at the beach.
60. Five Dozen - No surprises here: 12 x 5 = 60
61. Bakers Bun - A simple rhyme here for number 61.
62. Turn the Screw - Another rhyme which shares the name of a horror story written by Henry James in 1898.
63. Tickle Me 63 - Another rhyme for number 63.
64. Red Raw - Another rhyme it is for number 64.
65. Old Age Pension - The age when people used to be able to retire and draw their pension!
66. Clickety Click - A rhyme for number 66.
67. Made in Heaven - Another rhyme for 67.
68. Saving Grace - This one rhymes as well!
69. Either Way Up - Refers to the shape of the numbers, which can be turned either way up.
70. Three Score and 10 - Some more maths for you: 3 x 20 (score) + 10 = 70
71. Bang on the Drum - A simple rhyme here.
72. Six Dozen - Maths again! 6 x 12 = 72
73. Queen B - A simple rhyme that today’s online bingo players could interpret as a reference to Beyonce!
74. Candy Store - A simple rhyme that makes us think of our favourite sweets (cola bottles, of course!)
75. Strive and Strive - Another rhyme here.
76. Trombones - In 1950s Broadway musical The Music Man, the song goes that ‘76 trombones led the big parade’.
77. Sunset Strip - This refers to a popular TV show from the 1950s and 60s called 77 Sunset Strip.
78. Heaven’s Gate - A simple rhyme. 
79. One More Time - And another one!
80. Eight and Blank - A simple one that refers to the eight and the zero, or ‘blank’, which make up the number
81. Stop and Run - A slightly confusing one - could it mean stopping what you’re doing and running from the police?
82. Straight On Through - A simple rhyme, although it makes us think of someone running a red light!
83. Time for Tea - A simple rhyme.
84. Seven Dozen - A little more maths: 7 x 12 = 84
85. Staying Alive - A simple rhyme that makes us think of the Bee Gees song!
86. Between the Sticks - A rhyme that also refers to the position of the goalkeeper in football
87. Torquay in Devon - A simple, geographically accurate rhyme!
88. Two Fat Ladies - The shape of the two number 8s is said to resemble two larger ladies
89. Nearly There - Just one more number to go!
90. Top of the Shop - A rhyme that represents the last number on the bingo card

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