Where does bingo come from? How many numbers are there? What are bingo calls?
BINGO - where does it come from? Why is it called bingo? Want to know why bingo callers use nicknames for the ball numbers, and how the nicknames were chosen?
Sun Bingo has the answers!
Where does bingo come from?
The traditional form of bingo dates back to approximately 1530, Italy. The Italian lottery game was called "Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia", which translates as “the clearance of the lot of Italy”.
Over the centuries, the game spread across Europe before reaching the travelling carnivals of America in the 1900s.
*
Originally, it was called “Beano” because players would mark their cards with beans as the dealer selected discs from a cigar box. The first player to mark off a straight line and shout “beano” won a teddy bear.
Why is it called bingo?
Edwin S Lowe, a toy manufacturer from Long Island, stumbled upon the game and loved it. He took it back to New York and created his own beano cards to play with friends.
They loved it as much as he did. However, in the excitement of winning, one friend jumped up and accidentally cried “bingo” rather than “beano”. Bingo must have had a nicer ring to it, as that’s the name that stuck.
By 1934, there were an estimated 10,000 games being played every week.
How many numbers are there?
The most common form of bingo in the UK uses 90 balls (meanwhile in the US, they prefer a faster version that uses 75 balls).
There are a number of different games you can play with Sun Bingo:
- 90-ball bingo
- 80-ball bingo
- 75-ball bingo
- 50-ball bingo
- 40-ball bingo
- 36-ball bingo
Why do the ball calls have nicknames?
While the US was developing bingo, the Brits were busy developing “Housey-Housey”. Games of chance had been growing in popularity since the Elizabethan era, many illegal games were running alongside the state-approved games.
It’s reported that during World War One, soldiers started playing housey-housey in the trenches to curb boredom. The game works very similarly to bingo, probably named from the bingo call “full house”.
After the war, the soldiers kept playing the game in Britain; it was a hit with both men (who were now mostly all ex-servicemen) and women. South East London became a housey-housey hub, which why many of the nicknames derive from Cockney rhyming slang.
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF ONLINE BINGO? HOW LONG DO GAMES LAST? FIND OUT HERE
Every bingo number has a nickname. Their purpose is to precisely identify the numbers, especially as the first games were all played in large bingo halls. You can’t claim that you heard 44 if the announcer used the unique nickname for 54!
As a bingo game plays out, the caller will announce the ball numbers that appear, along with their nickname. Sometimes, the players will shout back to the caller.
While lots of the calls come from rhyming slang, some refer to an age, a song or a film.
Traditional bingo calls
LEARN HOW TO PLAY SLINGOS
Unusual ball calls
1. Kelly's Eye
This is supposedly a reference to Ned Kelly, a one-eyed Australian folklore hero. However, it has also been said to come from military slang.
2. One Little Duck
This is based on the shape of the “2” resembling a duck with a long, curved neck. That’s why “22” is two little ducks.
6. Tom Mix
Tom Mix was the star in many of the early American Western films. He appeared in 291 films overall.
8. Garden Gate
This is cockney slang for “8”. It may be a reference to a code for a secret meeting place or drop-off point for smugglers and gangsters.
9. Doctor's Orders
The number 9 pill was prescribed by army doctors during World War Two. It was a powerful laxative.
10. Keir's Den
This is a reference to 10 Downing Street, so the call is updated as the prime minister changes.
11. Legs Eleven
This is another call based on the shape of the number “11” looks like a pair of legs.
14. The Lawnmower
Apparently, the original lawnmower had a 14-inch blade.
17. Dancing Queen
A reference to the icon ABBA song and the age of its titular dancer.
20. One Score
A “score” is the old unit for measuring x20 of something; 40, 60 and 80 can also be called as “two score”, “three score” and “four score”.
21. Key of the Door / Royal Salute
This is a throwback to the traditional age that children would move out and needed a key to their own home. Also, there are 21 guns fired in a royal or military salute.
23. The Lord is My Shepherd
This is a reference to the first phrase of Psalms 23.
25. Duck and Dive
The “2” is a duck and the “5” is a snake that the duck wants to dive away from.
26. Half a Crown
This refers to pre-decimalisation when two shillings (2) and a sixpence (6) were worth half a crown.
30. Dirty Gertie
There was a bawdy song called Dirty Girtie that became popular with Allied soldiers deployed in North Africa.
38. Christmas Cake
Another rhyming slang reference.
39. Steps
This comes from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film The 39 Steps.
44. Droopy Drawers
Take the slender legs of “11” and add some drooping pantaloons!
49. PC
This is based on the TV programme The Adventures of P.C. 49, which ran between 1946 and 1953.
52. Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue was an Irish drag act and entertainer who was active from the 1940s to early 2000s.
53. Here Comes Herbie
This is the number of the VW Beetle “Herbie” from the Walt Disney franchise. If this is called, players often respond “Beep, beep”!
56. Shotts Bus / Was She Worth it?
The original number for the bus route from Glasgow to Shotts was 56. Also, the original price of a marriage licence was five shillings (5) and a sixpence (6). The caller will ask “was she worth it?” to which callers should respond “every penny!”
57. Heinz Varieties
This came from a marketing strategy by Heinz, who started the rumour that they offered 57 product varieties. However, Heinz actually made many more. The 57 came from the founder’s lucky number (5) and his wife’s lucky number (7).
59. Brighton Line
The route from London to Brighton and the South Coast was once route 59.
76. Trombones
This is a reference to the 1962 musical film The Music Man. Lyrics from one of the marching songs goes “76 trombones led the big parade”.
77. Sunset Strip
Another TV reference, this call nickname acknowledges the popular private investigator TV show 77 Sunset Strip, which ran in the 1950s and 1960s.
Most read in Bingo
*Terms and conditions: New customers only. Deposit £10 for 50 free spins on selected games (accept & wager winnings 30x within 48hrs) and spend £10 on bingo tickets for £50 bingo bonus (accept & wager bonus 4x within 7 days). Debit cards only. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare –
- Gamble Aware –
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.