Bingo Nicknames
Bingo nicknames, the name given to each number as the bingo caller announces them, are an intimate part of bingo culture. The nicknames for each number can vary from region to region and while some of the names are intuitive enough others are more difficult to fathom. Here are some of the more common, but also obscure, bingo nicknames you may encounter as well as an explanation of their possible source.
Number 1 is often called Kelly’s Eye and this refers to the notorious one-eye Australian outlaw Ned Kelly who roamed the Australian bush during the late 1800s.
Number 6 rhymes with Tom Mix who starred in over 300 Westerns between 1910-1935. The vast majority of Mix’s films were silent.
Number 9, Doctor’s Orders recalls a pill called ‘Number 9’ that British Army doctors prescribed during World War 1.
Number 17, Dancing Queen. This is a reference to the ABBA song that spent six weeks at the top of the UK hit parade in 1976. The song’s chorus is “You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen…”
Number 23, The Lord is My Sheperd. Psalm 23 in the bible describes God as a protector and leader. The Psalm opens with the verse “The Lord is my Shepard”.
Number 26, Bed and Breakfast. At one time the traditional fee for bread and breakfast in the UK was s shillings and 6 pence which was usually shortened to “2 and 6”.
Number 30, Burlington Bertie. The phrase ‘Burlington Bertie’ is cockney rhyming slang for the gambling odds of 10/3 that are often referred to as 100-30
Number 49, PC 49. During the 1940’s and 1950’s a popular radio show in the UK was ‘The Adventures of PC 49’ that followed the escapades of the fictitious Police Constable Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby whose number was ‘49’.
Number 56, Was she worth it. This is a cheeky poke of fun at the ladies. For many a year in the UK 5 shillings and sixpence, shortened to ‘5 and 6’, was the cost of a marriage license.
Number 59, Brighton Line. Once upon a time the bus line from London-Brighton was number 59.
Number 64, The Beatles Number. This is a reference to the classic Beatles song ‘When I’m 64’ that failed to top the charts in 1967 breaking a run of number hits for the fab four that went back all the way to 1963.
Number 76, Trombones. The signature song for the 1957 musical ‘The Music Man’ is “Seventy-six Trombones. The song is particularly popular with marching bands and hardly a parade goes by without it being played.
Number 77, Sunset Strip. This is a reference to the American TV show ’77 Sunset Strip’. The cult private detective show ran from 1958 to 1964 and in 1960 won a Golden Globe Award for best TV series.
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