Everything About Online Bingo Cards And Calls

Bingo is a globally loved game, and to play, you need bingo cards. When playing online bingo in South Africa, you can use virtual cards or even generate your own with a free bingo card generator. It's straightforward to get the hang of virtual bingo cards, as instructions are provided during generation.

What's also interesting are the bingo numbers, often called "bingo calls." You might have heard terms like lucky bingo numbers, winning bingo numbers, or bingo game numbers. These all refer to the extensive list of bingo calls we'll explore in this article.

Bingo Cards in South Africa

Bingo cards are essentially the grids used to play online bingo. There are two main types of cards commonly seen. One is a 5x5 grid for 75-ball bingo, popular in the United States. The other uses a 9x3 grid for 90-ball bingo, which you'll often find in the UK and is also played by South African players.

75-Ball Bingo Cards

These cards feature a five-column, five-square grid. The centre square is usually a free space, and the other squares have numbers. The columns are organised as follows:

• B: Numbers 1 through 15
• I: Numbers 16 through 30
• N: Numbers 31 through 45
• G: Numbers 46 through 60
• O: Numbers 61 through 75

90-Ball Bingo Cards

In South Africa, cards are often called "tickets." These typically have three rows and nine columns. Each row contains five numbers and four empty spaces arranged randomly. The numbers are distributed across the columns as follows: 1-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80-90.

Understanding Bingo Calls

Bingo calls are also known as bingo numbers or just "the lingo." Many players might not know the full list of these calls, with 90 distinct numbers in play. Let's dive into each one, giving you the lowdown on common bingo game numbers and their meanings. You can find the full list below:

1. "Kelly's eye": A classic bingo call, possibly a nod to folk hero Ned Kelly or derived from military slang.
2. "One little duck": Represents the number 2, resembling a solitary duck. Visualise the shape to remember this call.
3. "Cup of tea": Simply means the number 3. Easy peasy!
4. "Knock at the door": This call is inspired by the nursery rhyme "one, two, fasten my shoe," and some might recall it from "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films.
5. "Man alive": A popular bingo call in the UK, possibly referencing a 1965 BBC documentary that gained a large following.
6. "Half a dozen": This refers to the number 6. It's often linked to legendary cowboy Tom Mix, known for his film stunts.
7. "Lucky seven": A widely recognised lucky number in bingo halls and gambling spots globally.
8. "Garden gate": This call uses rhyme, common in a playful, almost "Cockney" style of UK slang.
9. "Doctor's orders": Refers to the number 9, historically associated with a potent remedy.
10. "Prime Minister's den": This reflects the number 10, alluding to 10 Downing Street, the residence of the UK Prime Minister. It's a rhyming call.
11. "Legs eleven": The number 11, visually resembling a pair of legs. You might hear a player whistle when this number is called in a live game.
12. "One dozen": Meaning a standard dozen, which is 12.
13. "Unlucky for some": Refers to the number 13. While considered unlucky in many Western cultures, its perception can vary.
14. "Valentine's Day": A sweet call for number 14, representing the day of love.
15. "Young and keen": This is a rhyming call for 15. You might also hear "Rugby team" as an alternative.
16. "Sweet 16": A significant birthday milestone, representing the number 16.
17. "Dancing Queen": A fun call for 17, paying tribute to the iconic Abba song. Definitely worth a listen!
18. "Coming of age": This refers to the number 18, the age when one is legally considered an adult.
19. "Goodbye teens": The final year of teenage life, marking number 19 before turning 20.
20. "One score": An older term for 20. This call can sometimes allude to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address ("four score and seven years ago").
21. "Royal salute / Key of the door": Refers to the number 21, often associated with a salute of 21 guns fired at military ceremonies.
22. "Two little ducks": The number 22, often called "two little ducks" as the shapes resemble them. Your first little duck now has a friend!
23. "Thee and me": This rhyming call represents the number 23.
24. Two dozen.
25. Duck and dive: This is simple to acquire if the number 2 is represented by a duck and the number 5 follows as a snake. A snake would make a duck dive for cover.
26. Pick and mix.
27. Gateway to heaven.
28. In a state/Overweight.
29. Rise and shine.
30. Dirty Gertie: Also Known as Dirty Gertie from Bizerte, this World War II song has endured ages to be played in bingo parlors all around the world.
31. Get up and run.
32. Buckle my shoe: This bingo call is an extension of the children's rhyme from number four. Jimmy Choo is a well-known shoe designer.
33. Dirty knee/All the threes/Fish, chips & peas.
34. Ask for more: Oliver Twist reference.
35. Jump and jive.
36. Three dozen.
37. More than eleven.
38. Christmas cake.
39. 39 steps: The Hitchcock picture The 39 Steps, from 1935, is being seen today.
40. Life begins: Another bingo call honoring a significant birthday when things start to get wicked.
41. Time for fun: Life has started.
42. Winnie the Pooh: This bingo call honors A. A. Milne, the creator of the honey bear fable and enduring favorite of British childhood, Winnie the Pooh.
43. Down on your knees.
44. Droopy drawers.
45. Halfway there.
46. Up to tricks.
47. Four and seven.
48. Four dozen.
49. PC: This bingo call is in reference to the 1946-53 show centered on the exploits of an unorthodox copper who invented the term "rise and shine." The Adventures of P.C. 49 are still being used as bingo calls years after they originally aired.
50. Half a century.
51. Tweak of the thumb: I love my Mum
52. Danny La Rue: a bingo call that pays homage to the Irish musician known for his passion for cross-dressing, Danny La Rue.
53. Here comes Herbie/Stuck in a tree.
54. Clean the floor.
55. Snakes alive: Linked to the Number Shape: Fifty-Five (and mentioned in 25, duck and dive).
56. Shotts Bus: Was She Worth It?
57. Heinz's varieties: Despite having many more recipes, Mr. Heinz chose to stop developing variants of his favorite number, 57, so that Heinz baked beans would only be sold in 57 different cans.
58. Make them wait.
59. Brighton Line.
60. Five dozen.
61. Baker’s bun.
62. Turn the screw/Tickety-boo: Often known as tickety-boo in bingo, it is army slang for everything being alright.
63. Tickle me 63.
64. Redraw.
65. Old age pension: This bingo call shows the customary retirement age in the United Kingdom.
66. Clickety click.
67. Stairway to heaven.
68. Saving Grace.
69. Favorite of mine/either way up: If players look at the numbers from the bottom up, they signify the opposite. This is also referred to as "Meal for Two," and order number 69 on a takeout or restaurant menu designates it as such.
70. Three scores and ten.
71. Bang on the drum.
72. Six dozen.
73. Queen bee.
74. Hit the floor.
75. Strive and strive.
76. Trombones.
77. Sunset Strip: This bingo call is based on an American detective series produced by Warner Brothers between 1958 and 1964, which was shown in prime-time on Saturday nights in the UK.
78. 39 more steps.
79. One more time.
80. Eight and blank: This one is straightforward to find, but you can also see it referred to as "Gandhi's Breakfast", since the number 8 is meant to symbolize a cross-legged, sitting Gandhi.
81. Stop and run.
82. Straight on through: Related to journeying, but also known as a "fat lady with a duck," which refers to the pictures the numerals may and have portrayed before.
83. Time for tea.
84. Seven dozen.
85. Staying alive: The Bee Gees' 1977 global smash that was featured in the motion picture Saturday Night Fever.
86. Between the sticks: Goalkeeper lingo used in football.
87. Torquay in Devon.
88. Two fat ladies: Two Fat Women Returning to the graphics, the number 88 resembles the curves of two curvaceous women.
89. Nearly there.
90. Top of the shop.

These are all the bingo numbers, so players can read them once and get to know about the origin. However, some calls are just simple, so there’s no explanation for them.

Learning Bingo Calls

Bingo calls can be easily learned as players can just learn them online by taking quizzes. Just google “bingo call quiz”, and that’s how players will be able to test their knowledge. If they can’t remember every single one, then by taking quizzes, players will be able to learn them much more effectively.

Bingo Calls Chart

It's simple to use the chart to discover the names of the bingo number calls and their origins; all you have to do is click on the numbered ball you want to learn about, and an Answer Box will appear with the information. Afterward, you can either click anywhere outside the Answer Box to get back to the main chart, or use the next and previous arrows inside the answer box to go through each number call explanation one at a time.

Conclusion

Bingo is one of the most played games worldwide, and bingo cards are used to play this game at top online casinos. Players can also generate online bingo cards with a free bingo card generator, as it is not hard at all. In the article, players will find a huge list of bingo calls that are difficult to memorize, but they can take quizzes to learn them.