Bingo Calls Have Rhyme And Reason

Bingo is a game of enjoyable entertainment and looked upon as such by three million people in Great Britain alone.  Bingo calls are the primary part of the games, whereby the announcer of the numbers informs the selected lucky number to be stricken on the Bingo cards.  Whether it is a Bingo game of U.S. style with 75 balls or the popular U.K. tradition of 90 balls it is the Bingo calls that are heard attentively by the audience.

In the early days U.S.A. sponsored the Bingo playing games as a welfare measure during carnivals for fund raising for charities.  In a huge gathering in a gala festive mood, it was the tone of the Bingo calls being made by the announcer that attracted the attention to be diverted to the play of Bingo.  Then the commercialization of Bingo games for winning fabulous prize monies came into being.  People had a frenzy for such gambling activities always for the shear thrill it brings to them in participation, winning or losing notwithstanding. 

The citizens of the United Kingdom absorbed Bingo games with enthusiasm and no sooner it became the very popular pastime in all places of the British soil, Bingo playing halls and clubs sprang up in a fast pace.  Unlike the U.S. customs for Bingo calls, U.K. developed its own traditions and varieties in making Bingo calls of numbers or balls as they are popularly known as.  Instead of mentioning the mere numbers in Bingo calls, which will be monotonous, British tradition attached rhymes and meanings to each and every number starting from 1 to 90.

Thus a separate Bingo lingo emanated for Bingo calls and made them so enchanting with fun.  Even after the commencement of online Bingo games in 2003 in U.K., the traditions were ardently followed by Bingo playing websites to attract the crowds embarked from the Bingo playing exclusive halls into private and secluded Bingo playing, sitting before the computer. While the offline Bingo halls showed varieties by introducing celebrities to make Bingo calls of numbers, the Internet technologies made it possible to choose a Bingo Calls making voice as per choice of the player in some websites. 

Apart from popularly known nicknames in Bingo calls such as “unlucky for some 13”; Valentines Day for 14; one score for 20; half-the century for 50 etc. there are unique nicknames as well – 1=Kelly’s eye; 2=one little duck; 8 =one fat lady and 88=two fat ladies (figurative for bulky ladies) 18=coming of age; 28=overweight; 32=buckle my shoe and so on.  All of them have rhymes and valid reasons and make them so funny.