Fun Bingo Rhymes and Quotes

It goes without saying that Bingo is by far one of the most social and exciting betting games in the world! While it is true that Bingo players are all trying to land a winning number, a lot of players simply enjoy engaging with the caller and each other in a fun atmosphere. This can be mostly attributed to the rich history of this much-loved casino game, which comes with a quirky and jovial nature.

This fun article at Betfair Bingo will cover bingo rhymes and quotes. It is an established fact among avid players that bingo number names are one of the best parts of the entire game. These bingo calling numbers are also one of the main reasons why the game’s popularity has been enjoyed by so many civilisations across different countries.

We hope that this article will leave you both tongue-tied and in fits of laughter because most of these bingo numbers make absolutely no sense but are just such great fun!

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The tale of Bingo starts around the beginning of the 16th Century in Italy, where it was a popular way for locals to participate in an early version of a national lottery. The game eventually landed in France among Aristocratic families who found it to be a fun and social game to enjoy during events.

Historians note how around 1778, ‘Le Lotte’ was designed as an almost identical replica of modern Bingo, with playing cards used to mark numbers called by the caller, each with a unique and random combination. Each player was supplied with one card, and the caller was tasked with drawing small wooden tokens from a cloth bag until one player managed to cover one horizontal row to be declared the winner.

The game travelled across the channel to Britain, where it become very popular in communities located in industrial towns and cities. As with most things, Bingo found its way to the United States where it would become the game we now all know. It was thanks to toy manufacturer Edwin S Lowe who in 1929 stumbled across an early version of the game in a carnival in Jacksonville.

He watched in wonder as a tent packed with people were enjoying a game of ‘Beano’, aptly named since players were using dried beans to mark the numbers on their cards that have been called out. The first person to shout ‘Beano!’ when completing a full line would win the game. Lowe tested this game out with friends in New York, and one of his friends won the game and fumbled by shouting ‘Bingo!’.

Bingo’s history as a game shared among groups in a fun social setting has been the main driving force behind the creative fun bingo calls that are so popular today. Almost all of these bingo calling numbers are rooted in the society that plays the game, in what is colloquially referred to as ‘Bingo Lingo’.

The best thing about these bingo number names is that while some appear to make sense, others are completely illogical and simply exist because they rhyme! As a rule, most bingo number names rhyme with the number as a way of clearly defining the number called. Considering the numbers 15 and 50, which could be confused in a packed hall of players, a rhyme is used to confirm the number drawn.

As already discussed, there is a deep social component that connects bingo sayings with players. So much is this fact, that bingo number sayings can even be different in countries such as Ireland and Britain despite the fact that both countries speak English. This is a result of bingo rhymes relying on shared social knowledge about specific facts or topics. These can include certain feasts such as Valentine’s Day for the number 14, Weeks of the Year for the number 52, and so on.

Other common influences that can be observed in fun bingo calls refer to specific key ages such as 18, 21, bus and train routes, and pop culture references. What’s even better about these bingo numbers is that rhymes and phrases keep on changing and evolving over time, with a lot of modern bingo calling numbers also entering the mainstream.

There are several lists of fun bingo calls available on different websites, which cover a wide range of bingo calling numbers across different ages and locations. It would be almost impossible to list all of these in this article, but we can definitely present a list of some of the most memorable ones!

This list of memorable bingo number names covers traditional bingo calls used during the height of the 1940s and 50s, some popular bingo phrases used by the British, and more modern bingo sayings.

Number 2, Me and You – a very common bingo rhyme used by Cockney callers.

Number 3, Cup of Tea– what could be more British than a cup of tea? This rhyme is pretty straightforward, and we assume that a lot of tea is consumed during British Bingo!

Number 4, Knock at the Door – a bingo term taken directly from a common nursery rhyme.

Number 5, Man Alive –  this particular bingo number is a relic from the time the game was popular among sailors, where ‘Man Alive’ was used as an expression of disbelief.

Number 6, Tom Mix / Chopsticks / Little Mix –  This number rhymes with quite a number of different things! Tom Mix was a star of many Western movies in the early 20th Century, Chopsticks are popular Asian eating utensils, and Little Mix are a 21st Century girl band with several chart-topping songs.

Number 10, Cock ‘n’ Hen – another fun bingo call by Cockney callers that is commonly used.

Number 15, Young and Keen – a simple rhyme that reflects a tender age.

Number 17, Dancing Queen – a reference to ABBA’s song of the same title, which topped the charts in the UK.

Number 25, Duck and Dive - a simple rhyme.

Number 26, Pick ‘n’ Mix – this is a simple and nostalgic bingo number name that refers to self-service shops where clients used to buy sweets by weight.

Number 27, Hipster Heaven – a modern bingo phrase that reflects the growing trend and domination of hipsters.

Number 29, Rise and Shine – a simple rhyme.

Number 30, Dirty Gertie – a common rhyme that is derived from Gertrude, a nickname for a statue La Deliverance, which is found in North London.

Number 31, Get up and Run – a simple rhyme.

Number 32, Buckle my Shoe – a simple rhyme.

Number 33, Dirty Knee – a very common bingo calling number that is used in Ireland.

Number 34, Ask for More – a simple bingo number.

Number 35, Jump and Jive – a sweet bingo phrase that refers to a popular dance craze that dominated the 1940s and 50s.

Number 41, Time for Fun – a rhyme that refers to what many believe as life beginning after the age of 40.

Number 42, Winne the Pooh - a bingo calling number that references the classic bear in the books by A. A. Milne.

Number 43, Down on your Knee – a simple rhyme.

Number 46, Up to Tricks – a simple rhyme.

Number 48, Tag a Mate – tagging has received a new meaning as a result of social media, so we definitely expected it to feature as a modern bingo calling number.

Number 49, Amazon Prime – a modern bingo phrase that reflects the rise of online shopping, particularly on websites such as Amazon Prime.

Number 51, Tweak of the Thumb – a simple rhyme.

Number 52, Chicken Vindaloo – a British bingo name that takes after one of the most popular dishes introduced into British cuisine.

Number 53, Stuck in the Tree – a simple rhyme.

Number 54, Clean the Floor – a simple rhyme.

Number 55, Snakes Alive – several bingo numbers are also inside jokes, such as Snakes alive, which bother rhymes with five as well as referring to the number 5 looking like a snake.

Number 58, Make them Wait – a simple rhyme.

Number 59, Brighton Line – a bingo saying used in Britain in reference to train number 59 which connect London to Brighton.

Number 61, Bakers Bun – a simple rhyme.

Number 62, Tickety Boo – a traditional whimsical bingo saying which refers to a military phrase commonly used during the start of the 20th Century.

Number 63, Tickle Me – a simple rhyme.

Number 64, Red Raw – a simple rhyme.

Number 66, Clickety Click – another whimsical British bingo rhyme.

Number 67, Made in Heaven – a simple rhyme.

Number 68, Pick a Mate – a simple rhyme.

Number 71, Bang on the Drum – a simple rhyme.

Number 73, Queen Bee – a traditional simple rhyme with no reference to legendary singer Beyoncé.

Number 74, Candy Store – a simple rhyme.

Number 75, Strive and Strive – a simple rhyme.

Number 78, Heaven’s Gate – a simple rhyme.

Number 79, One More Time – a simple rhyme.

Number 82, Straight on Through – a simple rhyme.

Number 83, Time for Tea – yet another British simple bingo rhyme.

Number 85, Staying Alive – a simple rhyme.

Number 87, Torquay in Devon – a simple rhyme.

Number 88, Wills and Kate – a modern bingo calling number that refers to the future King and Queen of the United Kingdom.  

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Bingo is more than just landing a winning line or house and taking home a big cash prize. It is a fun game that includes a lot of witty banter – make sure you test out these bingo rhymes and phrases at one of our exclusive bingo rooms at Betfair Bingo!