How were the bingo calls first inspired?

Bingo call can be referred to as a nickname or rhyming phrase which are derived from songs, movies, or age. If you have ever been opportune to come across bingo players, you will have been familiar with different nicknames. When you hear phrases like kelly’s eyes or tony’s den, you wonder what that means.  Bingo is a highly multifaceted game and it can be modified at any time to suit a particular theme

History of bingo calls

Bingo calls origin can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century, some of these nicknames were derived from military slang. These rhyming phrases are used to communicate secrets among the players, and these calls make the game fun and exciting. The rhymes are also used by bingo players to ensure that all the 90 bingo numbers are easily identified when it is being called out.

There are different numbers of bingo games, they are three in number:

• 90 Ball Bingo- 15 numbers over 3 rows
• 80 Ball Bingo- 16 numbers arranged in a square
• 75 Ball Bingo- 24 numbers arranged in a square with an empty square in the middle

The 90 Bingo Ball is the commonest of all, callers often use fewer balls to make it a bit tasking for players. However the bingo nicknames were embraced in order to clarify easily all the 90 bingo numbers, the use of the nickname spread nationwide and at some point, part of it was changed and lots more were added afterward.

Bingo call numbers that evolved from the military slang

Number 9 – Doctor’s Orders. This number was derived from the slang use for a powerful laxative pill that was given out to Army troops by the Army doctors during World War II.

Number 1- Kelly’s Eye. This is a military slang that is used to refer to Ned Kelly, one of the greatest heroes in Australia who has a magic amulet in the shape of an eye.

Interesting Bingo Calls

Some bingo calls are interesting, they are gotten from words whose sounds rhyme with the number words like these:

Number 6- tom mix or Half a dozen. Tom Mix was one of the western stars who appeared in 291 movies. His legacy lives on in bingo call. Also, 12 means a dozen, and 6 which is half of 12 denotes the half a dozen used interchangeably.

Number 10- it is now called Boris’s Den or whosoever is the prime minister of the UK at that moment will fit into this call. This number is often regarded as Number Ten Downing Street.

Number 11- legs eleven. The number looks like a pair of thin legs and the shape the number makes.

Number 16- sweet 16 and never been kissed. This means a child turning 16 is now quite an adult and no more a kid.

Number 39- the thirty-nine steps from the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie by John Buchan

Number 57- Heinz varieties. The number is used to refer to the number in the logo of Heinz Food Company.