Bingo Jargon Explained

Thursday, May 17th 2012 - James W.

Bingo is a game that wears its history on its sleeve, but to a newbie it can certainly look cryptic. In fact, as any regular will tell you, the phrases and nicknames called as each number is declared not only make perfect sense, but also paint a colourful picture of the game’s uniquely British history.

Some meanings are more obvious than others and others are simply rhymes, but here are a few of the stranger nicknames and the significance behind them.

“Doctors Orders – number 9!”

Dating back to World War I, soldiers with poor diets were prescribed the Number Nine Pill.

“The Brighton Line – number 59!”

Named after the number 59 bus route from London’s East End to Brighton. Cockney Rhyming Slang provides the template for many of the nicknames you can find, and some are especially colourful ...

“Dirty Gertie – number 30!”

In Finchley, North London, stands La Delivrance, a statue erected in 1927 to commemorate a decisive battle of World War I. Nicknamed “Gertrude”, the statue of a nude woman became the subject of many bawdy soldiers songs, and also found its way into the Bingo hall.

So you can see how Bingo’s colourful origins provide a flavour of the fun and laughs to be had in Chit Chat Bingo’s online atmosphere. The slots and online Bingo games are a perfect place to win new friends - there’s nothing to decipher, just loads of fun and plenty of prizes.