Where did bingo originate? What are the ball calls?
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Sun Bingo explains how bingo got its name and why bingos use nicknames for the ball numbers.
Sun Bingo explains why bingo callers use nicknames for the ball numbers and what they mean.
The traditional form of bingo dates back to approximately 1530, Italy. The game spread across Europe and the travelling carnivals of America in the 1900s.
Edwin S Lowe from Long Island created his own beano cards and played it with his friends. One of them accidentally called it bingo.
The most common form of bingo in the UK has 90 balls. In the US, the version with 75 balls is preferred.
During World War One, soldiers started playing housey-housey in the trenches to curb the boredom. After the war, the soldiers kept playing the game in Britain. South East London became a house-houses hub.
The bingo numbers have a nickname to identify them. The first games were played in large bingo halls. The caller will announce the ball numbers that appear, along with their nickname.
Kelly’s eye is a reference to Ned Kelly, an Australian folklore hero.
2. One Little Duck is based on the shape of the “2” resembling a duck with a long, curved neck.
Tom Mix was the star in many of the early American Western films. He appeared in 291 films overall.
The ball calls 8 is cockney slang for "8".
The number 9 pill was prescribed by army doctors during World War Two. It was a powerful laxative.
10 Downing Street is a reference to 10 Downing St.
The ball calls 11 are based on the shape of the number.
The original lawnmower had a 14-inch blade.
The ball calls are Dancing Queen.
The ball calls 20. A score is the old unit for measuring x20 of something.
The ball calls 21. Key of the door and Royal Salute are throwback to the traditional age when children needed a key to their own home.
The ball calls Psalm 23: "The Lord is My Shepherd".
The “2” is a duck and the ‘5’ is the snake.
26. Half a Crown was half a shillings before decimalisation.
Dirty Girtie was a song that became popular with Allied soldiers deployed in North Africa.
The ball calls 38 Christmas Cake.
The ball calls 39 Steps from Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film The 39 steps.
The ball calls are Droopy Drawers.
This is based on the TV programme The Adventures of P.C.49.
Danny La Rue was an Irish drag act and entertainer active from the 1940s to early 2000s.
The ball calls 53. Here Comes Herbie is the number of the VW Beetle from the Walt Disney franchise.
The original number for the bus route from Glasgow to Shotts was 56. The original price of a marriage licence was five shillings and sixpence.
Heinz started the rumour that they offered 57 product varieties. 57 came from the founder’s lucky number (5) and his wife”s number 7.
Route 59 was once the route from London to Brighton and the South Coast.
76 trombones led the big parade in the 1962 musical film The Music Man.
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A responsible gambler is someone who establishes time and monetary limits before playing and only gambles with money they can afford to lose.
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing. Only gambles with money they can afford to lose. Never chase their losses.
