Call of the halls
If you play online bingo you might find that when the numbers come up they also carry the famous bingo nicknames with them. There’s a call for every number, and whilst some are simple, some are decidedly obscure. Knowing the story behind the nicknames can add to the enjoyment of playing the game, so here are a few of the more unusual nicknames explained.
Number 1, Kelly’s Eye: A reference to the one eyed Australian gangster Ned Kelly.
Number 2, One Little Duck: Describes the swan shape of the number two.
Number 9, Doctor’s Orders: A pill known as ‘Number 9’ was a laxative given out by army doctors in the 1st World War.
Number 10, Gordon’s Den: This one changes depending on the current Prime Minister. Number 10 Downing Street being the tradition residence of the Prime Minister.
Number 22, Two Little Ducks: Same reference as number 2, just twice as many!
Number 23, The Lord is My Shepherd: Refers to Psalm 23 in The Bible.
Number 26, Bed and Breakfast: The traditional price for bed and breakfast in the UK was 2 shillings and 6 pence, which would be shortened to “2 and 6”.
Number 39, Those Famous Steps: From the classic book by John Buchan (and Hitchcock film) ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’.
Number 56, Was she worth it: Five ‘n’ six (5 shillings and sixpence) was the cost of a marriage license.
Number 57, Heinz Varieties: Heinz, the makers of baked beans, historically made 57 varieties of products.
Number 64, The Beatles Number: Based on the famous song by The Beatles, When I’m 64.
Number 69, Either Way Up: No innuendo here, simply a reference to the fact the six becomes a nine if turned upside down and vice versa.
Number 77, Sunset Strip: 77 Sunset Strip was a cult American TV show.
Number 80, Gandhi’s Breakfast: This is a reference to Gandhi’s famous protest fast. Eight Nothing… or 80… or ate nothing.
Number 88, Two Fat Ladies: A reference to the numbers again, number eighty eight looks like two plump ladies. Players often retort with the phrase “wobble wobble”.
Number 90, Top of the Shop: This refers to the fact that 90 is the highest number in a game of bingo.If you’re thinking of taking a plunge into the world of online bingo then make sure you go with a reputable provider such as 32 Red bingo, who were established in 2001 and have thousands of customers.