Bingo Calls

Where do Bingo calls come from?

These are the quirky and often completely incomprehensible rhymes or phrases that come after the numbers. While they might sound random, bingo call nicknames actually go back a long way, originating from cockney rhyming slang. As well as livening up the average game, bingo calls also help avoid misunderstandings between numbers that might otherwise sound similar by offering extra clarification between say, 29 and 25.

The history of bingo calls

Bingo calls originated in the UK in the 1950s and many of them are believed to have been taken from a 1930s army game known as Housey-Housey. This explains why so many bingo calls have military references attached. Of course over the years they have been added to and changed, and there are multiple different calls for many of the numbers.

Being a bingo caller takes a great deal of skill and knowledge of the different bingo calls. In the 1960s there were even celebrity bingo callers and a Bingo Caller of the Year competition that ran all the way up until 2007. Virtual bingo callers are still present at most online bingo sites and if you go to a bricks and mortar bingo hall you’ll be sure to find a caller presiding over the action there.

Popular bingo calls

 Bingo calls are constantly evolving, and they often vary between different regions and areas. Sometimes they rhyme with the numbers they represent, or they can describe the appearance of the numbers (for example Legs 11 (11) or Two Fat Ladies (88)).

Here are some of our favourite bingo calls that you will probably come across in your land-based and online bingo adventures:

7 – Lucky seven: Traditionally, the number seven has always been considered lucky.

11 – Legs eleven: The number 11 could be said to resemble a pair of legs.

13 – Unlucky for some: The number 13 is traditionally considered to be unlucky.

14 – Valentine’s day: This one is fairly self-explanatory as Valentine’s day is on February 14^th.

16 – Sweet sixteen: 16 is a significant birthday for most teenagers.

18 – Coming of age: 18 is when people in the UK officially become adults.

22 – Two little ducks: The number two somewhat resembles a duck, therefore 22 is like two ducks.

25 – Duck and dive: This is a combination of the two that looks like a duck and the five that looks like a snake (therefore you would want to dive out of the way)

30 – Dirty Gertie: A popular culture reference from World War 2. “Dirty Gertie from Bizerte” was a rather crude song sung by the soldiers.

42 – Winnie the pooh: This one is an example of rhyming slang with reference to the loveable character created by A.A. Milne

44 – Droopy drawers: This one is partly rhyming slang and partly a visual representation of the number four, which is considered to look like baggy underwear.

50 – Half a century: Fifty years is indeed half a century.

65 – Old age pension: 65 is traditionally the age when a person can start to collect their pension.

69 – Either way up: This call plays on the fact that the number 69 is the same if you turn it upside down.

77 – Double hockey sticks: This is a play on the fact that a seven looks a bit like an upside-down hockey stick.

88 – Two fat ladies: The number eight is often referred to as resembling a curvy female figure. Therefore 88 is likened to two amply proportioned ladies.

90 – Top of the shop: This is a reference to the fact that 90 is the highest number (in 90-ball bingo anyway!).

Bingo calls add a great sense of fun and entertainment to the online bingo experience. Once you understand the calls you can enjoy the game even more (and have a bit of a laugh at the same time).

Bingo calls around the world

While the majority of bingo calls originate from the UK and are used around the world, the US, in particular, has put its own spin on a number of them. As the favoured form of bingo in the US is 75-ball, the format of the tickets that are used in US games are displayed differently from the ones that we use for 90-ball bingo. On a 75-ball ticket, there are 5 columns labelled B, I, N, G, and O. Column B contains numbers from 1 to 15; Column I contains numbers from 16-30; Column N contains numbers from 31 to 45; Column G contains numbers from 46 to 60, and Column O contains numbers from 61-75. When numbers are announced, they are preceded by the column letter to avoid confusion and to enable players to locate the numbers of their tickets faster, e.g. B2 and I65. This means that some of the bingo calls that American players have adopted have been altered too.

• B-1 Baby of Bingo: We can only assume that “baby of bingo” is used for number one as it’s the smallest number in 75-ball bingo.
• B-4 And After: “And after” is shouted out by players following the number 4, the call for which sounds like “before”, hence “before…and after”.
• B-6 Tom Mix: A movie star from silent movies
• B-8 Harry Tate: Early film star and music hall comedian
• B-12 The vitamin number: Vitamin B12 is required by the human body to form red blood cells. It also helps to produce DNA and maintain normal brain function.
• N-39 Jack Benny: A US comedian who was popular in the 50s and 60s. His signature joke was that he was always 39 years old.
• N-42 The Street in Manhattan: This was named after the 1933 movie called 42^nd Street
• N-45 Cowboy’s Friend: Named after a Colt 45 revolver
• G-50 Hawaii 5-0: This was a US police drama in the 1970s
• G-55 Double Nickel: “Double nickel” is trucker slang for the number 55, and it refers to the national speed limit of 55 MPH that was introduced in the USA in 1974.
• O-75 Big Daddy: This is the highest number in American Bingo, hence the name.

Most bingo callers have their own variations and combinations of bingo calls so there’s always something new to learn.

The future of bingo calls

With new calls being created all the time, it’s likely we’ll see them evolve many times over as new popular culture references and younger generations make their mark on the world of bingo, both online and offline. There is also the possibility, however, that the skill of the bingo call and knowing their nicknames might be a dying art. Political correctness and the smooth flow of a call, like 4 and 9  – 49, or 3 and 1 – 31, seems to be more attractive to the bingo software developers than maintaining a piece of bingo history.

New bingo calls

As bingo calls are an evolving language of their own, there are some newer calls that are based on modern popular culture. These bingo calls appeal to a younger audience and in many ways are a product of the more youthful demographic that online bingo appeals to. Some of these newer bingo calls are a little controversial but many of them are hilarious and highly entertaining. Most of them take a rhyming approach so they are easy to understand.

Here are a few of our favourite modern bingo calls:

6 – Little Mix

8 – Tinder date

17 – Selfie queen

22 – I don’t know about you: after a Taylor Swift song named 22.

24 – Lads on tour

25 – Adele: named after her third hit album

27 – Hipster heaven

32 – Jimmy Choo

48 – Tag a mate

69 – Netflix and Chill

71 – J-Lo’s Bum

Social media inspired bingo calls

Modern bingo calls wouldn’t be complete without some reference to social media terms and slang:

All UK Bingo Calls and What They Mean

Ever wondered about the story behind traditional bingo calls? We’re pretty sure that you have at some point! With this in mind we’ve put together a three-part guide exploring the origins of traditional bingo calls from 1 – 90. We’ve also thrown in a few fun facts about each number. For Part 1, we’ll be focusing on numbers 1 – 30. So let’s begin!

1.  Kelly’s Eye

There are two schools of thought on this one. Some think it’s a reference to Aussie outlaw Ned Kelly’s, others think its military slang.

Number Crunching

• French playing card aces depict a ‘1’ instead of an ‘A’
• One is the Loneliest Number, according to Harry Nilsson

2. One Little Duck

There’s no debate about One Little Duck. Number 2 resembles a baby duck, end-of!

Number Crunching

• The atomic number of helium is ‘2’
• 2 is the number of Sister Act movies

3. Cup of Tea

Another perfectly logical explanation with the Cup of Tea bingo call: we love a cuppa and the phrase rhymes with 3.

Number Crunching

• 3 is a lucky number in China
• The number 3 turns up in a lot of fairytales including Three Blind Mice, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Aladdin with his Three Wishes.

4. Knock at the Door

Knock at the Door probably originates from the nineteenth century nursery rhyme, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.

Number Crunching

• The only number that has the same amount of letters in its name
• The number of apocalyptic horsemen

5. Man Alive

Apparently, the phrase, Man Alive, is thought to have originated from nautical parlance to describe the discovery of a shipwreck survivor. Conveniently, it rhymes with 5 hence its use by bingo callers.

Number Crunching

• The UK’s fifth terrestrial TV channel, Channel 5, launched in 1997
• Coco Chanel’s favourite number was immortalised in her famous No 5 perfume which, incidentally, was released on the fifth day of the fifth month!

6. Tom Mix

Tom Mix was an American actor who appeared in Westerns during the early twentieth century.

Number Crunching

• The sixth sign of the Zodiac happens to be Gemini
• In numerology, ‘6’ symbolises harmony and balance

7. Lucky Seven

The number 7 is considered to be one of the luckiest numbers, so it makes perfect sense to include it as part of a bingo call.  

Number Crunching

• 7 was a gruesome US movie released in 1995
• The number of sins and virtues in the Bible

8. Garden Gate

As well as rhyming with 8, ‘Garden Gate’ was at used to describe a secret meeting place for smugglers and other ne’er do-wells.

Number Crunching

• Infinity is signified by an ‘8’ on its side
• Popular shape performed by figure skaters by connecting two circles

9. Doctor’s Orders

Number 9 was a slang term used by the army in WWII to describe a rather effective laxative pill administered to poorly soldiers (whether they liked it or not).

Number Crunching

• The number of Norse worlds connected by the world tree, Yggdrasil
• The ninth tarot card is the Hermit

10. Downing Street

10 Downing Street is of course the home of our dear leader who has an important neighbour (see below). Also known as Maggies Den, or Rishi’s Den – you get the idea; whoever is the Prime Minister and in residence at the time.

Number Crunching

• The number of counts in a boxing match before a KO is declared
• Number of a rugby fly-half

11. Legs Eleven

The number 11 resembles a pair of legs, hence this very famous bingo call. Although political correctness sees it rarely used any more and no wolf whistles when it comes out!

Number Crunching

• Home to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
• The first Apollo mission to land men on the moon

12. One Dozen

Nothing much going on with this bingo call: one dozen = 12.

Number Crunching

• There are 12 picture cards in a typical deck of playing cards
• There are 12 signs of the zodiac

13. Unlucky for Some

This phrase of course refers to the most luckless number of all. ‘13’ is actually considered a positive number in numerology, signifying creativity and independence.

Number Crunching

• 13 is a baker’s dozen – also sometimes used as the main call.
• Triskaidekaphobia describes an irrational fear of the number 13

14. Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine’s Day falls on February 14 – the end!

Number Crunching

• The 14^th day of July is the National Day of France
• There are 14 lines in a sonnet

15. Young and Keen

Keen rhymes with 15 – that’s all there is to see here.  

Number Crunching

• Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, according to Andy Warhol
• A game of backgammon features 15 pieces per player

16. Sweet 16

This refers to a coming of age party for girls celebrating their sixteenth birthday.

Number Crunching

• The number of candles that make a lovely light according to the 1958 song
• The square root of 256

17. Dancing Queen

Dancing Queen is a nod to Swedish Super Group ABBA and its memorable 1976 hit.

Number Crunching

• 17 is considered unlucky among Italians
• 17 is considered lucky among Norwegians

18. Coming of Age

Another rites of passage bingo call here which refers to a transitional phase in one’s youth.

Number Crunching

• The 18^th president of the USA was Ulysses S. Grant
• The legal age at which you can vote in most countries around the world

19. Goodbye Teens

19 is the age at which one is poised to leave behind the tumult of teen angst forever.  

Number Crunching

• N n n n 19 is the average age of the combat soldier in Vietnam, repeated over and over again in the 1985 hit song by Paul Hardcastle.
• Go is played on a 19 x 19 grid

20. One Score

A ‘score’ originated from Cockney rhyming slang to describe the number 20. This term was a codeword used by villains in the eighteenth century.

Number Crunching

• The third Super Bowl to be held at the New Orleans Superdome in 1986
• Score 20 out of 20 on the Snellen chart and you’ve got perfect vision

21. Key of the Door

It used to be that “21” was considered the age at which you got the keys to your own gaff. Not sure if this still applies!

Number Crunching

• The name of Adele’s award-winning 2011 album
• 21 is the number of cannons typically used in a military salute

22. Two Little Ducks

Just as one little duck resembles the number 2, two little ducks signifies 22.

Number Crunching

• Used in the title for Joseph Heller’s famed 1961 novel
• A committee of backbench Conservative MPs

23. Thee and Me

By all accounts, ‘Thee and Me’ is Old English rhyming slang. In our present context, it rhymes perfectly with the number 23.

Number Crunching

• The number worn by basketball player, Michael Jordan
• 23 is the lowest prime number that comprises consecutive digits

24. Two Dozen

The clue’s in the name with this one! Incidentally, the word ‘dozen’ derives from the French word ‘douzaine’.

Number Crunching

• The number of hours in a day
• The famous action drama from the early noughties starring Kiefer Sutherland

25. Duck and Dive

Neat interplay here between the bingo call for number 2 (see above) and the word ‘dive’ which rhymes with five.

Number Crunching

• 25 is a rational number
• A silver wedding anniversary  

26. Pick and Mix

This cherished approach to purchasing sweets can be traced all the way back to F W. Woolworth who started the practice in the late eighteenth century. Oh and it rhymes with six.

Number Crunching

• 26 is the average age of the combat soldier in World War II, repeated over and over again in the 1985 hit song (see 19)
• Boxing Day!

27. Gateway to Heaven

A religious term that rhymes with 7 – there’s not a whole lot else to mention about this one.

Number Crunching

• The number of bones in a human hand
• 27 – the age at which a lot of amazing musicians departed this earth

28. In a State

Another bingo term, whose very existence can only be explained by its ability to rhyme with a specific number.   

Number Crunching

• 28 is a perfect number
• 28 means eternal life according to the King James Bible

29. Rise and Shine

The phrase Rise and Shine comes from an eighteenth century military order bellowed by sergeants to compel their subordinates to get out of bed!

Number Crunching

• January 29 is National Puzzle Day
• People born on February 29 are known as leaplings (See author)

30. Dirty Gertie

Well this seems to be a weird one at first glance. But it comes from the song Dirty Gertie from Bizerte which was sung by soldiers during WW2.

• Thirtysomething was an Emmy award-winning TV series in the 1980s
• The number of fragrance commercials during any given ad-break this festive season (kidding)

In Part 2 of our odyssey into the meanings of traditional bingo calls, the focus is on numbers 31 – 60. Along the way, we’ll be taking in a dance style from the 1930s, learning a bit about Norse mythology while casting our eyes over a pair of sagging undergarments. So let us embark forthwith!

31. Get up and Run

No sort of back-story with Get Up and Run – it just rhymes well with 31.

Number Crunching

• Thirty One is a popular card game
• 31 Songs is a book by Nick Hornby

32. Buckle My Shoe

As with Knock at the Door, this one is nicked from the famous nursery rhyme.

Number Crunching

• The number at which water begins to freeze
• There are 32 black and 32 white squares in a game of chess as well as 32 pieces

33. Dirty Knee/All the Threes

Dirty Knee is used for its obvious harmony with 33, while ‘all the threes’ refers to the number’s use in a 90-ball game of bingo

Number Crunching

• There are 33 vertebrae in a human spine
• 33 is considered a very positive number among the spiritually-minded

34. Ask for More

It rhymes with 4 and might well be used to describe a player on the verge of winning a game of bingo!

Number Crunching

• In mathematics, 34 is a natural number
• 34 is a major street in Manhattan

35. Jump and Jive

As well as referencing a popular dance style from the 1930s, Jump and Jive might also derive from the 1950s song, Jump, Jive an’ Wail by Louis Prima.

Number Crunching

• 35 is the minimum age for presidential candidates in countries including the US and Ireland.
• The atomic number of bromine is 35

36. Three Dozen

Rhyming falls by the wayside here – this call is purely factual. Three Dozen = 36.

Number Crunching

• There are 36 numbered pockets on a roulette wheel (not including the 0 or 00)
• 36 symbolises the quest to find balance between our spiritual and physical selves

37. More than Eleven

37 is most definitely more than eleven, while eleven most definitely rhymes with 37.

Number Crunching

• In spirituality, 37 reminds us to have faith in our intuition
• It’s the first irregular prime number

38. Christmas Cake

This is cockney rhyming slang through and through, relating to the phrase ‘give and take’.

Number Crunching

• 38 signifies unusual bravery in Norse mythology
• The number of plays by William Shakespeare

39. 39 Steps

39 steps comes from the John Buchan novel, later immortalised in the movie by Alfred Hitchcock.

Number Crunching

• The number of signatories to the US constitution
• Contestants compete for 39 days in the US edition of Survivor

40. Life Begins

As the only saying goes, ‘Live Begins at 40’.

Number Crunching

• The only number that’s the same in Celsius and Fahrenheit
• The amount of winks in a nap

41. Time for Fun

Given that ‘live begins at 40’, it makes sense that 41 is ‘time for fun’!

Number Crunching

• George H W Bush was the 41^st President of the United States.
• The Little Beehive star cluster is known as Messier ‘41’

42. Winnie the Pooh

Rhyming with ‘2’, this phrase also honours AA Milne’s half-clad, honey-loving teddy bear.

Number Crunching

• Tower 42 is a London skyscraper
• The level of a famous Isle of Wight band from the 1980s

43. Down on Your Knees

According to some sources, this phrase comes from an old army saying. Don’t know where they got their info though! Anyway, it rhymes quite well with ‘3’ so there you go.

Number Crunching

• The largest natural number that isn’t a McNugget number (yes this is actually a thing)
• Commando unit based in Clyde, Scotland

44. Droopy Drawers

Droopy Drawers is a visual reference to sagging underwear.

Number Crunching

• There are 44 candles in a box of candles for the Hanukkah festival
• Lewis Hamilton’s racing number

45. Halfway There

The number 45 signals the half-way point of your typical game of 90 ball bingo.

Number Crunching

• A brimful of Asha was on this number
• 45s is a trick-based card game from Ireland

46. Up to Tricks

It’s all about the rhyming here – nothing more, nothing less.

Number Crunching

• The number on Oklahoma’s state flag
• Joe Biden is the 46^th president of the United States

47. Four and Seven

They must have been asleep in coming up with this one – not the most imaginative of bingo calls is it?!

Number Crunching

• Add a ‘1’ before the ‘4’ and you’ve got the maximum break possible in snooker
• Mars has a 47 year cycle

48. Four Dozen

4 x 12 = 48, ta-da!

Number Crunching

• The number of hours in a movie title, starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte
• The number of hours in the above movie’s sequel, also starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte

49. PC

This call relates to a 1940s TV series called, The Adventures of PC 49. The show followed the adventures of a police constable who didn’t do everything by the book.

Number Crunching

• The name of gold miners who flocked to California for the gold rush of 1849
• The name of a party following a Native American powwow.

50. Half a Century

The halfway staging post to a century

Number Crunching

• A slang term for the police, made famous in the 80 TV series, Hawaii Five-O
• 50 years is a golden wedding anniversary

51. Tweak of the Thumb

There’s no quirky back-story behind Tweak of the Thumb unfortunately. It just rhymes…

Number Crunching

• An area in the Nevada desert of UFO-fame
• The fourth episode of US TV series, Breaking Bad

52. Danny La Rue

Named after the popular Irish entertainer and drag-queen, Danny La Rue who starred in numerous theatrical productions during in the 70s and 80s.

Number Crunching

• The number of cards in a standard deck
• If you want to call Mexico, you’ll need to use this prefix

53. Stuck in a Tree

Stuck in a tree is all about the rhyme.

Number Crunching

• The number worn by Herbie, the famous Beetle
• 53 is the sixteenth prime number

54. Clean the Floor

A household chore that many of us would soon avoid…and it rhymes with 4!

Number Crunching

• Studio 54 – a notorious nightclub in New York that was popular during the disco era
• The number of African countries

55. Snakes Alive

A visual reference this one, due to 55s resemblance to a slithering limbless reptile.

Number Crunching

• Kasabian wrote a song called, ‘55’
• 55 is the atomic number of the chemical element, caesium

56. Was She Worth It?

Back in the day, a marriage license would set you back five shillings and sixpence. ‘Every penny’ is the traditional audience response to this call.

Number Crunching

• The hitting streak of Joe DiMaggio that will probably never be beaten
• Symbol of the Hungarian Revolution

57. Heinz Varieties

Named after the famous ‘57’ used by Heinz to promote its products – the numbers were considered lucky by owner Henry Heinz and his missus.

Number Crunching

• Wesley Snipe’s passenger number in the 90s action movie
• The Master of Disguise’s number in Danger Mouse

58. Make them Wait

Possibly just a rhyming call, although it could also refer to keeping a bingo audience in suspense between announcing the numbers.  

Number Crunching

• The novel 58 Minutes was used as the source material for Die Hard 2
• There are 58 Californian counties

59. Brighton Line

This either relates to the old train service from London to Brighton (Engine 59) or the Brighton bus that runs to Shoreham-by-Sea. We reckon it’s the latter.

Number Crunching

• 59 is the seventeenth prime number
• According to numerologists, should you encounter this number, you’ll receive divine insight

60. Five Dozen

A simple bingo call that doesn’t actually rhyme.

• The retirement age for women until 2010
• A swinging decade that gave us the Beatles

Welcome to part 3 of our guide to traditional bingo calls and some of the meanings behind them. So far we’ve discovered a meeting place for smugglers (number 8), encountered a grubby gentleman from a Tunisian city (number 30) and have been wowed by a 1970s drag queen (number 52). Quit what we’ll come across in our exploration of numbers 61 – 90 is anybody’s guess. Only one way to find out!

61. Baker’s Bun

We begin the final straight with a simple rhyming call that’s without any sort of back-story.

Number Crunching

• You’ll need 61 points to win a game of cribbage
• Roger Maris hit this amount of home runs in a season in…1961

62. Turn the Screw

Aside from the obvious rhyming harmony with 2, this call comes from the phrase describing the application of pressure.

Number Crunching

• The earliest age somebody can claim social security in the US
• The motorway connecting Liverpool with Hull

63. Tickle Me 63

Somewhat disappointingly, this cheeky entreaty is just a simple rhymer.

Number Crunching

• The year that JFK was shot by a ‘lone gunman’
• The year that the Beatles got their first number one hit

64. Red Raw

Don’t be sore, it’s red raw – another rhyming call.

Number Crunching

• The Beatles’ famous song about advancing years, inspired by Paul McCartney’s father
• Commodore’s best selling home computer in the 1980s

65. Old-Age Pension

At one time, 65 was the age at which you could claim your old-age pension in the UK.

Number Cruching

• 65 is often used in the names of culinary dishes of Southern India
• ‘The 65’ is a term that describes a precinct in New York City

66. Clickety click

This rather odd bingo call relates to the sound you make when saying ‘66’ quickly. Apparently, it sounds like a train coming down the tracks.

Number Crunching

• England won their only football world cup in ‘66
• The famed US highway that runs for more than 2000 miles

67. Stairway to Heaven

Preceding Led Zeppelin’s famous ditty, Stairway to Heaven derives from a religious phrase.

Number Crunching

• Old 67 is a little-know Elton John song – check it out, it’s on the album The Captain and The Kid
• The number of throws in Judo

68. Saving Grace

A dubious rhyme with 68, and that’s about the size of it.

Number Crunching

• The last unmanned test of the Saturn V rocket took place in April of ‘68
• An American rock band

69. Either Way Up

This refers to fact that the number 69 looks the same upside down.

Number Crunching

• The summer in which a Mr B. Adams invested in a six-string guitar (his very first) at a local discount store
• The year man first walked on the moon

70. Three Score and Ten

Three score and ten relates to archaic numbering terms: 3 x 20 (a score) plus 10 = 70.

Number Crunching

• The targets are 70 metres away from the archers in the Olympics bow and arrow event
• Copyright’s often expire after 70 years

71. Bang on the Drum

A nice little rhyming call this one – nothing else to mention though.

Number Crunching

• 71 is an ‘emirp’ number (a prime number that results in a different prime when its decimal digits are reversed)
• The very, very fast US spy plane has the designation SR -71

72. Six Dozen

Another bingo call based on the multiplication of 12 (6 x 12 = 72)

Number Crunching

• The number worn by William (The Refrigerator) Perry of the Chicago Bears
• The Rule of 72 is used to estimate an investment’s doubling time

73. Queen Bee

A buzzy bingo call that has absolutely nothing to do with the royal family. It just rhymes.

Number Crunching

• The number of the house used in the 1980s children’s TV show
• A Canadian pizza chain

74. Candy Store

Candy store rhymes with 74, silly! Bit of an interesting one though given that ‘candy’ is more of an American term. How it found its way into English bingo parlance is unknown.

Number Crunching

• The world cup year in which Holland somehow finished runners up to West Germany in the final
• 74 mph is the minimum wind speed at which hurricanes or typhoons are so designated

75. Strive and Strive

Strive and Strive has a pleasing cadence with ‘75’ and also rhymes with 5.

Number Crunching

• The second abbreviated number in a song by The Connells
• There are 75 balls in a US game of bingo

76. Trombones

The call for 76 was inspired by a marching song from the Music Man called Seventy-Six Trombones.

Number Crunching

• Philadelphia’s basketball team is called the 76ers
• 1776 is the year of the United State’s declaration of independence

77. Sunset Strip

Our entry for 77 comes from the 1950s US TV show about a private eye.

Number Crunching

• The Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II took place on this year
• 77 kelvins is the boiling point of nitrogen

78. Heaven’s Gate

Relating to the door to Nirvana, Heaven’s Gate rhymes neatly with ‘78’.

Number Crunching

• A standard Taro deck contains 78 cards
• 78 is an abundant number

79. One More Time

No back-story with 79’s call – it just rhymes, that’s all.

Number Crunching

• 1979 is the name of a Smashing Pumpkins album
• New General Catalogue Object 79 is a galaxy in the Andromeda constellation

80. Eight and Blank

Not a lot to see here!

Number Crunching

• Phileas Fogg was challenged to circumnavigate the world in this number of days (he did it in 79)
• A song by Green Day

81. Stop and Run

A curiously contradictory bingo call that some online sources suggest relates to fleeing from the police.

Number Crunching

• ’81 – a big year for English cricket and a certain all-rounder who was later knighted
• The number of provinces that make up Turkey

82. Straight on Through

A bingo call that’s been around for a very long time – no word about its origins though.

Number Crunching

• 82 is a happy number (this is an actual mathematical term)
• The number that appears at the end of the book, Hocus Pocus

83. Time for Tea

The second rhyming reference to Britain’s favourite hot drink.

Number Crunching

• A second bar mitzvah can be celebrated at 83.
• 83 is the title of a Hindi movie

84. Seven Dozen

7 x 12 = 84 – another call relating to groupings of 12

Number Crunching

• The XXIII Olympiad was held in ’84
• Eighty Four is the name of a town in Pennsylvania

85. Staying Alive

Not an ode to the Bee Gees – no indeed, this bingo call precedes the band by a couple of decades!

Number Crunching

• Live Aid was held in 1985 – seems like yesterday!
• 85 Ceti is a variable star in the Cetus constellation

86. Between the Sticks

This is the only football reference in a game of 1 – 90 bingo, describing the goalie’s position between the goal posts.

Number Crunching

• The name of Japanese sci-fi novels by Asato Asato
• Madonna’s True Blue album was released in June of ’86

87. Torquay in Devon

The English Riviera has been used as a bingo-rhyming call for eons. Why is anybody’s guess, though!

Number Crunching

• M87 was the first black hole photographed
• A sonnet by William Shakespeare

88. Two Fat Ladies

Possibly the most famous of all bingo calls, this describes 88’s resemblance to a pair of rotund women.

Number Crunching

• The number 88 represents in good fortune in Chinese culture
• The number of keys on a standard-sized piano

89. Nearly There

A simple indication that all the numbers are close to being called.

Number Crunching

• The word ‘eighty-nine’ is censored on the Chinese internet
• 89 is a movie about the 1989 title-decider between Liverpool and Arsenal

90. Top of the Shop

‘Shop’ describes a completed game of bingo and ‘top’…well it rhymes

Number Crunching

• In numerology, the number 90 signifies compassion and idealism
• The distance in feet between bases in the MLB

Author And Managing Editor

Anita Heffernan

Anita is well-known and respected within the online bingo industry, she loves all things bingo and slots and has been involved with online bingo and gambling sites since the late 1990’s. She has been the full-time writer and Editor of WhichBingo for much of that time and is respected by operators and players alike for her no-nonsense judgments and opinions. Anita has seen the highs and lows of the industry she loves, has seen it grow and develop and contract again into what it is today. She has worked with the biggest names in the industry and has a reputation for being fair and to the point in her writing.