Ever heard of bingo lingo?

Posted on 19 February 2021
By Carlton Whitfield
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One of the nations synonymous with the game of bingo has to be the United Kingdom. Though it was invented in the US, the game truly became loved in the UK.

In London, people took to the game greatly and as so often happens, a subculture developed around bingo. This included a form of language, often known as bingo lingo, which was used exclusively around the game.

Names and calls were created to help people who were sitting far from the announcer hear the number, as well as to bring a layer of fun to proceedings.

Very soon, these calls became a core element of bingo, with the lingo being a way of signifying your knowledge of the game. You can find the best bingo bonuses at Bingosites.com.

In this article, we will take a look at the ins and outs of bingo lingo, including their origins and modern usage.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our deep guide to bingo lingo across the UK.

Bingo calls that comes from cockney rhyming slang…

Decades ago, in the East End of London, people started to employ a special secret code to speak with each other in a bid to stop the police from understanding the nature of their illegal activities.

In what was a desperately poor area of the city, smugglers and gangs engaged in all sorts just to get by.

Today, cockney rhyming slang is prevalent across the UK’s bingo scene. The top bingo sites show off some classic calls such as Garden Gate (8), Dancing Queen (17), or Danny La Rue (52).

Bingo calls that comes from the shape of numbers…

Both bingo sites and brick and mortar bingo halls often refer to a number by its form when scrawled down. From Legs Eleven (11) to Two Little Ducks (22), there are plenty of clever and special bingo calls around.

Our top calls include Two Fat Ladies (88) and Either Way Up (69), but the finest funny bingo site call has to be Droopy Drawers (44)!

Bingo Calls that come from historic sources…

British people love their rich history, with bingo sites across the nation referring back to the olden days when it comes to their calls.

One of the top historical calls that the finest bingo sites always use is that of Doctor’s Orders (9).

Sounds a little strange of course, yet this call comes from the era of WWII when doctors would those soldiers undiagnosed with any real illness the ‘number 9’ pill, a special kind of strong laxative that was intended to purge the bowels.

Another special bingo call coming from historical fact is Was She Worth It? (56). Though it could seem weird to those uninitiated, this figure signifies the cost of a marriage license in England in the 1950s; five shillings and sixpence.

A nice touch of bingo events comes with players shouting back “every penny!” to the caller when they give they make what has become a notorious query.