Bingo Calls and Bingo Lingo

What are bingo calls?

Bingo calls are the nicknames callers give to numbers, such as Legs Eleven for 11 or Two Fat Ladies for 88. Together they are known as bingo lingo, and every number from 1 to 90 has at least one traditional call.

Costa Bingo's own bingo page describes bingo lingo as industry jargon for every possible bingo number, and its home page lists a few favourites. The calls come from rhymes, the shape of the digits, old slang and bits of British history. Below you will find the examples Costa uses, then the full list of bingo number names from 1 to 90 in two tables, then the stories behind a few of them. The list follows the traditional calls heard in British halls; local versions vary, and that is part of the fun.

Which bingo calls does Costa Bingo use on its own pages?

The official home page gives six examples: One Little Duck (2), Tom Mix (6), Legs Eleven (11), Rugby Team (15), Bed & Breakfast (26) and Wobbly Wobbly (88). The official bingo page lists two dozen more, from Kelly's Eye (1) to Top of the Shop (90).

Interestingly, the two pages do not always agree. For 26 the home page says Bed & Breakfast while the bingo page says Pick and Mix, and for 88 the home page has Wobbly Wobbly while the bingo page has the classic Two Fat Ladies. Both are genuine calls; the table sets the official choices against the most widely used traditional version.

What are the bingo number names from 1 to 45?

The first half of the list runs from Kelly's Eye at 1 to Halfway There at 45. Where Costa's pages use a call, we give that call.

What are the bingo calls from 46 to 90?

The second half runs from Up to Tricks at 46 to Top of the Shop at 90. Numbers above 75 are only called in 90-ball games.

Why do callers use these bingo calling phrases?

Mostly for clarity and fun. In a noisy hall a rhyme or picture is harder to mishear than a bare number, and the phrases give the caller a bit of personality.

The bingo calling phrases fall into a few families. Rhymes are the largest: Garden Gate for 8, Buckle My Shoe for 32, Snakes Alive for 55. Shapes come next: Legs Eleven, Two Little Ducks, Two Fat Ladies. Counting calls use dozens and scores, so 72 is Six Dozen and 70 is Three Score and Ten. Then there are the calls with a story, such as Doctor's Orders for 9, usually linked to the number nine pill handed out by army doctors, or Tom Mix for 6, named after a cowboy star of the silent films. Torquay in Devon for 87 is a rhyme with a dash of geography.

Do you hear bingo calls in Costa Bingo rooms?

In the game itself the numbers are drawn at random, shown on the board and announced by a voice if your sound is on. The lingo lives mainly in the chat, where hosts and players use it.

The Getting Started guide describes the game screen: called balls appear at the left, the board shows every number called, and the last few calls stay visible. Sound is toggled in Options. The chat is where the community side happens: hosts run chat games, the Lounge is for general talk and the Help room is for questions mid-game. Rude or offensive chat leads to a ban. The rooms themselves, with ticket prices from 1p, are listed on the Costa Bingo rooms page.

Can you use this list for free bingo calling at home?

Yes. The traditional calls belong to everyone, so the tables above work as free bingo calls for a home game, a party or a charity night.

A few habits make home calling smoother: say the call, then the number, then repeat the number, and keep a record of every ball drawn so a winning card can be checked. For a 90-ball game you need all ninety calls; for a 75-ball game you stop at Strive and Strive. Each free bingo call works best when the room knows it, so pick one version for 26 and 88 and stick to it.

Where should you go after the bingo calls?

Put the lingo to use in a game.

The three-prize game where all ninety calls are used is on the 90-ball page. The random prize room is on the Mystery Jackpots page, and the free On the House room on the free bingo page. All rooms are on the rooms page, and you reach them through the Costa Bingo login. Bingo is for adults 18+; BeGambleAware and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 can help if play stops being fun.