Funny Bingo Calls: What to expect from numbers 1-90

| Friday 18th July 2025, 15:36

Friday 18th July 2025, 15:36

Bingo is one of the most popular games to play at Betfred with our customers. It's an alternative to the game we all know that is traditionally held in a bingo hall, but is a lot easier to access.

Even if you are not familiar with Bingo firsthand, you have probably come across some of the iconic numbers calling rhymes and phrases at some point in your life - such as two fat ladies or two little ducks. Below we at Betfred Insights Education have put together a guide for some of the most notable funny Bingo calls around.

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Bingo's Origins

Bingo has its origins in Lo Gioco del Lotto D’Italia, the original Italian lottery first played in the year of 1530. The game evolved across Europe into the 1800s, before making its way over to the USA, becoming popular in the early 1900s.

In 1929, toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe saw ‘Beano’, as it was first called, being played at a carnival in Georgia. Back home in New York, it caught on with his friends. During one particularly exciting game, someone yelled “Bingo” instead of “Beano”, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bingo calls date back to the re-importation of the game to the UK in the 1950s. Housey-housey, a version of Bingo played by servicemen during World War Two, was very popular, and many bingo call nicknames have origins in military terms, rhymes and jokes.

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Calls are used to describe all 90 numbers, although Betfred do also off the 75-ball game which is more common in the USA. These are calls are used to make it easier for players to understand which number has been pulled, particularly if being played in a traditional Bingo hall.

Bingo Calls

Kelly's Eye - A reference to Ned Kelly's helmet
One Little Duck - A simple one as the number '2' resembles the shape of a duck
Cup of Tea - a nice little rhyme that resonates with British culture
Knock At The Door - From an old nursery rhyme
Man Alive - A rhyme that usually exclaims surprise
Tom Mix/ Half A Dozen - Tom Mix was a Hollywood star of western films in the early 1900s
Lucky Seven - A famously fortuitous number
One Fat Lady - The number 8 can be described as depicting a curvaceous woman
Doctor's Orders - One from the military - A slang term for a laxative pill
[Prime Minister's Name]'s Den - For 10 Downing Street, home to Britain's current leader
Legs Eleven - The number looks like a pair of legs
One dozen - Simply another term for 12
Unlucky For Some - The famous unlucky number 13
Valentine's Day - The date [pun intended] of Valentine's Day
Young And Keen - Another bit of rhyming
Sweet Sixteen - Reference to a coming of age celebration - notably in the USA
Dancing Queen - One for you ABBA fanatics - which surely means everyone, right?
Coming Of Age - An 18-year-old in the UK officially becomes an adult
Goodbye Teens - Another one reflecting age
Getting Plenty - A rude insinuation which I think you can figure out for yourself
Royal Salute - 21 guns are traditionally fired for a military or Royal salute
Two Little Ducks - Our friend at number two now has a friend
The Lord Is My Shephard - A Bible reference to Psalm 23
Lads On Tour - Another rhyme reflecting a lads holiday
Duck and Dive - You have your two depicting the duck, and the five can be perceived as a duck upside down
Pick And Mix - Another memorable rhyme about one of our childhood highlights
Gateway To Heaven - A divine rhyme, not to be confused with Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven
In A State - A bit of Cockney rhyming slang
Rise And Shine - A morning rhyme
Dirty Gertie - Based on a military song
Get Up And Run - A rhyme associated with the military
Jimmy Choo - One for you fashion enthusiasts
Fish, Chips And Peas - A beloved British meal
Ask For More - A reference to Charles Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist
It's A Vibe - A phrase popular with the young generation today
Three Dozen - Yeah, you get it
More Than Eleven - A rhyme with not much thought behind it, clearly
Christmas Cake - More Cockney rhyming slang
Steps - To represent the cult-classic film
Naughty 40 - To many this is deemed when life begins
Time For Fun - Another age-related rhyme
Winne The Pooh - A rhyme for the beloved children's character
Down On Your Knees - A military rhyme that has since picked up other connotations
Droopy Drawers - Saggy underwear - moving on
Halfway There - There are of course 90 balls in Bingo
Up To Tricks - A mischievous rhyme
Four And Seven - Does what it says on the tin
Not Another Brexit Debate - shows Bingo is evolving
PC - The Adventures of P.C. 49 was an old radio series and film
Half A Century - Yeah, you get it
Tweak Of The Thumb - More rhyming
Weeks In A Year - In case you forgot
Here Comes Herbie - The number of Disney's iconic car
Clean The Floor - A task no one enjoys
Snakes Alive - A rhyme that also has meaning due to the shape of the two numbers
Shotts - In some regions, “Shotts” is used since 56 was the original number of the bus route from Glasgow to Shotts
Heinz Varieties - The brand we all know and love have 57 different options for canned beans
Make Them Wait - One the caller can have fun with to build suspense
Brighton Line - A nod to Brighton's phone numbers starting 59
Five Dozen - They really do love this gimmick
Baker's Bun - Another rhyme
Turn The Screw/Tickety-Boo - More memorable rhymes, the latter being one for Peep Show fans
Tickle Me - A cheeky rhyme
Almost Retired - Very much a thing of the past now in the current climate
Old Age Pension - The traditional age of retirement for men in the UK - not anymore
Clickety Click - A rhyme for rail enthusiasts
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin finally make their appearance - or there's the more divine notion
Pick A Mate - Another easy one to remember
Any Way Up - References the number stays the same either way you flip it
Three Score And Ten - More maths
Bang On The Drum - Rhythmic rhyming
Six Dozen - 6x12 =72
Queen Bee - This could have easily been many threes ago
Candy Store/Hit The Floor - Take your pick
Strive And Strive - A motivational rhyme again
Trombones - ‘76 Trombones’, from a song in the hit musical, The Music Man
Double Hockey Sticks - The two sevens resemble two hockey sticks
39 More Steps - More maths, how fun
One More Time - Any Daft Punk fans around?
Ghandi's Breakfast - Eight and nothing because Ghandi supposedly "ate nothing"
Fat Lady And A Walking Stick - Another visual reference
Fat Lady With A Duck - Feeding the ducks is another staple of British society
Time For Tea - More iconic British rhyming
Seven Dozen - Last one I promise
Staying Alive - We do love this Bee Gees track
Between The Sticks - One for your goalkeeper, football fans
Torquay in Devon - One for our friends in the South West
Two Fat Ladies - You get it by now
Nearly There- Highlighting that this is one away from 90
End Of The Line - Means the highest or last ball in Bingo

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