UK Bingo Expressions used for Numbers
Those wacky Brits certainly have an odd way with words sometimes, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in regards to the slang used for Bingo. When it comes to Bingo in the United Kingdom (“Housey Housey” as it was once known), there is a certain amount of colorful slang and catchphrases that the game offers that is simply not found in its United States counterpart.
The odd slang generally takes the form of creative nicknames and descriptor variants – indeed, this game has been known to go as in depth as even changing up the names of how the numbers called. To better understand more of these colorful catchphrases, we will go into some of these names.
To begin, what is surprising and amusing about the British version of Bingo is that each and every Bingo number has a nickname variant. What is even more unusual (and sometimes perplexing) is that no single number has just one nickname. In fact, each number can have multiple variants of nicknames, so trying to track down the “definitive” slang terms for any number is a very tricky venture indeed.
Let’s get into some example of these slang variants: The number “1” for example can be known as:
- "At the Beginning"
- "B1"
- "Baby of Bingo"
- "Buttered Scone"
- "First on the Board"
- "Kelly’s Eye"
- "Little Jimmy"
- "Nelson’s Column"
- "Number Ace"
Think about that for a moment: That’s just the list of names for only one number, and with British Bingo, they can go all the way up to 90! Yup, those Brits are positively mad!
There is no set number of nicknames for any number, and new additions are being added to the list all the time, so the possibility of new nicknames popping up from time to time is inevitable. The origins of these nicknames vary, coming from sources such as rhyming words, television characters, sports heroes and other celebrities, foods, drinks, songs, and even clichéd phrases. So as you can see, there are a lot of name sources to work with.
Despite the utter freedom found in the various nicknames, the values of the balls, as well as the overall rules, are not as easily changed. The fun and the goals still remain the same: A player sets up their markers in a winning pattern in order to claim victory and quick prizes. Once that has been outlined, the game remains smooth sailing from then on out.
Whatever the style of game you're playing, Bingo will always guarantee a good time out at any casino or social event. So grab your dauber and Bingo ticket, and get ready to have some fun!
