Walk into any bingo hall in Britain and you’ll hear phrases that would confuse anyone not in the know. ‘Two Fat Ladies!’ ‘Legs Eleven!’ ‘Dirty Gertie!’ These funny bingo calls have been part of the game for decades, transforming the simple act of calling numbers into a long-standing (and genuinely entertaining!) tradition.
Today we’ll highlight the most famous funny bingo numbers, look at some modern and even rude calls, and explain how the game itself works. If you fancy brushing up on the rules, take a peek at our full guide to 90‑ball bingo rules. Otherwise, keep reading – and we hope you’ll enjoy this read.
Bingo is pretty simple. Players mark off numbers on their tickets as they’re called randomly, and the first to complete a winning pattern shouts ‘Bingo!’ (or ‘House!’ if you’re traditional). In the British version the ticket is a 9×3 grid with 15 numbers and the game uses 90 balls. You can win on a single line, two lines, or a full house.
The calls serve a practical purpose. In busy halls, ’15’ and ’50’ can sound nearly identical. But ‘Young and Keen, 15!’ versus ‘Half a Century, 50!’ leaves no room for confusion.
You can read more about the game’s mechanics and variations in our complete guide on how to win at bingo and our online bingo tips.
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Bingo as a game has been around for centuries (it originated in Italy in the 1500s!), but the bingo lingo we know today really took off in Britain’s post-war bingo boom of the 1950s.
The story of funny bingo sayings is really a story of working-class Britain. Before bingo became the national obsession it is today, civilians and soldiers in the British Army played ‘Housey-Housey’ during both World Wars.
Stuck in barracks with limited entertainment, they had fun finding nicknames for numbers – many of which carried distinctly military humour. When the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 legalised cash-prize bingo, some of these calls came home with the troops and spread rapidly through the new purpose-built bingo halls.
By the mid-1960s, bingo halls were opening incredibly fast. The calls were already embedded in the culture before most players ever questioned where they came from.
Over the years, callers also incorporated proverbs, pop culture references, and Cockney rhymes, and that’s how we ended with a full set of calls (and variations) for numbers 1 through 90 – what we fondly call bingo lingo.
Some bingo calls are just a rhyme, but others carry genuine historical and cultural weight, and knowing the backstories makes the game vastly more interesting. Dig into the origins and you’ll find wartime songs, outlaw legends, and even references to army-issued laxatives. The backstories are often stranger than the calls themselves.
Curious about which numbers come up most often? Our analysis of top bingo numbers might surprise you.
Funny Bingo Calls
Beyond the historical references, plenty of alternative bingo calls are popular simply because they’re that fun. Certain number nicknames have proven especially hilarious or endearing whether it’s due to how they sound or the mental image they evoke.
Doctor’s Orders (9)
During World War II, army doctors dispensed ‘Number 9 pills’ – strong laxatives – to soldiers claiming illness. The phrase stuck as dark military humour.
Winnie the Pooh (42)
Simple rhyming slang paying tribute to A.A. Milne’s beloved character. It’s quintessentially British and impossible to say without smiling.
Was She Worth It? (56 / 76)
There are two versions of this, depending on the number. Before decimalisation in 1971, a marriage licence in the UK cost 7 shillings and 6 pence (7/6) or 5 shillings and 6 pence (5/6). The response from players was traditionally ‘Every penny!’ – a sentiment that may or may not be ironic depending on who you ask.
Gandhi’s Breakfast (80)
‘Eight and nothing’ sounds like ‘ate nothing’, referencing the Mahatma’s famous fasting. It’s one of those calls that requires a moment’s thought, which makes it funnier when you get it.
Some bingo nicknames come from simply looking at the shape of the number(s) and letting your imagination do the rest. These are some of the most visual calls, because you can literally see the joke on your bingo ticket.
Legs Eleven (11)
The parallel ones look like a pair of legs. It was also British slang for a tall officer with thin legs.
Two Little Ducks (22)
The shapes of the two twos resemble ducks, and players often quack in response.
Duck and a Crutch (27)
The number two looks like a duck, the number seven looks like a crutch.
Droopy Drawers (44)
Look at a 4 sideways, and apparently it resembles sagging underwear. Whether you see it or not, the phrase rhymes nicely and always gets a chuckle.
Two Fat Ladies (88)
The undisputed champion of bingo calls, and rude to the point it can fit multiple categories in our lists. Two 8s side by side apparently resemble two generously proportioned women. It’s not particularly PC by modern standards, but it’s so embedded in bingo culture that efforts to replace it have largely failed. (A 1990s TV cooking show even borrowed the name.)
Traditional bingo has never been shy about a bit of cheek and you can find some that have persisted for decades. They range from mild innuendo to outright cheeky phrases that would make your gran gasp. And they’re all in good fun.
One Fat Lady (8)
The number 8 seems destined to be about a lady’s figure, one way or another.
Dirty Gertie (30)
A reference to ‘Dirty Gertie from Bizerte’, a rather crude song sung by Allied soldiers in North Africa during WWII. Bizerte is a port city in Tunisia, and the song… let’s just say it wouldn’t pass modern content moderation.
The call also connects to ‘La Délivrance’, a bronze sculpture of a naked woman installed in North London in 1927, which locals nicknamed ‘Dirty Gertie’.
Down on Your Knees (43)
Originally, this was a wartime soldiers’ phrase implying it’s time to pray (on your knees). Nothing naughty intended. But any phrase about being on your knees is bound to raise eyebrows in a bingo hall.
Meal for Two / A Favourite of Mine (69)
The number 69 has a certain reputation, and bingo fully capitalizes on it. This call always earns a mix of laughter, groans, or a cheeky “ooh!” from players.
Fun bingo calls can spread pretty quickly online. One person tweets a clever new call, and next thing you know a bingo hall in Manchester is using it that weekend. There are virtually no rules, except that it should be recognizable and funny to the audience.
The classics like ducks and two fat ladies aren’t going anywhere, but there’s always room for new riffs.
Get an Uber from Mine (9)
A humorous twist on number 9, perhaps implying a modern “my place or yours?” scenario.
Adele (25)
Named after the British icon’s album “25”.
Not Another Brexit Debate (48)
It rhymes, and it perfectly encapsulates the collective sigh of the late 2010s.
Netflix and Chill (69)
This one’s both modern and naughty.
J‑Lo’s Bum (71)
A reference to Jennifer Lopez’s famous posterior.
In the UK, bingo is regulated by the Gambling Commission, and operators must make sure that games are fair and that players are protected. The only goal is to have fun, not to make money.
So keep it light, set yourself limits, and play responsibly. If you ever feel the fun is getting out of hand, there are resources and support available. BeGambleAware in the UK offers help and advice for those worried about gambling.
If you’d like to explore the best sites to play bingo safely, check out our review of bingo sites.
Online bingo uses Random Number Generators (RNGs) rather than physical ball machines, and games tend to run faster. Many sites include chat features to replicate the social aspect, and some use virtual callers with traditional calls. The core gameplay is identical, but the atmosphere differs.
We wrote a piece on whether online bingo is fixed, which explains how RNGs are regulated.
Yes. In the UK, bingo is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005 and must be provided by licensed operators. You must be 18+ to play for real money in halls or online.
Essentially, yes. Numbers are drawn randomly by mechanical machines or random number generators. You can slightly improve your odds by buying more cards or playing in games with fewer players, but no strategy can influence which numbers appear. That’s why it’s important to treat bingo as entertainment and not as a guaranteed way to make money.
Superstition runs deep in bingo culture. Number 13 is unlucky for some – though mathematically, it’s called as often as any other number. Some players have personal lucky or unlucky numbers. But statistically, every number from 1 to 90 has an equal probability of appearing.
They typically come from one of four sources: rhyming slang, visual resemblance, historical/cultural references, or contemporary pop culture. New calls emerge from time to time, but only those that resonate with players tend to stick around.
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