A history of the very British bingo call

Hearing the Bingo caller announce all those numbers with funny nicknames is part of the joy of the game, and the history of the calls, much like the history of Bingo itself, dates back centuries.

Whether you choose to play Bingo at Paddy Power, for example, or at a land-based establishment, you’re sure to hear some of these calls somewhere along the way.

So, in the British spirit, let’s put the kettle on, keep calm and carry on reading to discover the history behind some of the most common British Bingo calls…

Where did the rhymes come from?

More often than not, the terms associated with the numbers are rhymes, which made their first appearance in London in the mid-20th century.

These rhymes were originally used to pass on secret messages but were quickly picked up and adopted by Bingo players, who had previously had trouble telling some numbers apart, like 13 and 30, when they were called.

The rhymes naturally helped with this distinction, and the use of the nicknames spread and evolved.

Straight out of the army

Many of the popular Bingo calls we hear today came about during the war, when the game was frequently used as a fundraiser for the military, as well as a distraction and pastime for citizens and soldiers alike.

First up is number 1, which is known as “Kelly’s eye”, a comic strip that was popular amongst the soldiers. More directly linked to the military is “Doctor’s orders” – number 9.

This one was put together due to number 9 being a slang term for a laxative pill that was given to troops, as at this time, Doctors believed that in order to cure just about anything, the body just simply had to be emptied! 

Numbers 51 and 52 are both sometimes named after their respective army divisions – The Highland Division and The Lowland Division, with 53 sometimes being referred to as The Welsh Division, too.

However, in the modern day, these are more commonly called out as “tweak of the thumb”, “Danny La Rue” or “Here comes Herbie”.  

From the big screen and music scene 

Speaking of “Danny La Rue” and “Here comes Herbie”, 52 and 53 are both nods to the movie and music scene that rose in popularity after the war.

Whilst Herbie is a reference to the famous Disney car which had the number 53 displayed on its bonnet, entertainers Danny La Rue and Jack Benny – 39 – get their own numbers. 

There are some bands battling it out for the ultimate Bingo call, as The Beatles claim number 64, which is also sometimes known as “red raw”, and Abba claim number 17 as a nod to their hit song “Dancing Queen”. 

Number 49 gets the nickname “PC”, referencing a wartime radio show about Police Constable Archibald Berkeley Willoughby – P.C. 49.

Numbers 62, 77, 76 also take their inspiration from the big screen and movie scene, with 62 referencing the famous story The Turn of The Screw by Henry James, 77, “Sunset Strip”, is a nod towards a popular detective show of the same name, and “76 Trombones” was a hit song from the musical “The Music Man”.

Classically British

Where some Bingo calls take their inspiration from music, movies and significant events, some are just so British they had to be included.

For example, number 3 is simply “cup of tea”, and 83 is “time for tea”. There’s also number 10 – “Boris’ den”, which is adapted to whomever is the British Prime Minister at the time of the game, as well as 33, “fish, chips and peas”, and 59, the number of “the Brighton line”. 

So, now you know where some of the most British Bingo calls come from, how many of the others can you name? Put your knowledge to the during your next game of Bingo!