Bingo Lingo Phrases

These strange  phrases originate from the East End of London, they are in effect rhyming slang.

1. Kelly’s eye (At the beginning / Nelson’s column / Bingo baby)
   Kelly’s eye named after the Australian gangster Ned Kelly who had only one eye.
2. One little duck (Me and you / Doctor Who / Little boy blue)
   One little duck based upon the shape of the number it looks like the neck of a swan.
3. Cup of tea (You and me / One little flea / I’m free / Debbie McGee)
4. Knock at the door (Bobby Moore)
5. Man alive (One little snake)
6. Tom mix (Tom’s tricks / Chopsticks)
7. Lucky seven (God’s in heaven / One little crutch / David Beckham)
8. One fat lady (Garden gate / Golden gate / Gareth Gates)
9. Doctor’s orders
   Originates from the British Army in WW1  a pill known as number 9 was given out as a laxative by army doctors!
10. Tony’s den
    No doubt now will change to Gordon’s den as it refers to the current Prime Minister.
11. Legs Eleven
12. One dozen (One and two / Monkey’s cousin)
13. Unlucky for some (Devil’s number / Bakers dozen)
14. Valentines day
15. Young and keen (Rugby team / Stroppy teen)
16. Sweet Sixteen (She’s lovely / Never been kissed)
17. Dancing queen (Often been kissed)
    Dancing queen from the Abba song €˜young and sweet, only seventeen’.
18. Coming of age
19. Goodbye teens
20. One score (Getting plenty / Blind 20)
21. Key of the door
22. Two little ducks (All the twos / Quack Quack)
23. Thee and me (The Lord is my Shepherd)
    The Lord is my Shepherd refers to Psalm 23 in the Bible.
24. Two dozen
25. Duck and dive
26. Pick and mix (Bed and breakfast / Half a crown)
    Bed and breakfast the traditional price of bed and breakfast accommodation many years ago was 2 shillings and 6 pence (the equivalent of half a crown).
27. Gateway to heaven (Little duck with a crutch)
    The number 7 looks like a crutch.
28. Over weight (In a state / Duck and its mate)
29. Rise and Shine (You’re doing fine / In your prime)
30. Dirty Gertie (Burlington Bertie / Speed limit / Flirty thirty / Blind 30)
    Burlington Bertie is racing slang odds of 10030 on the racing circuit.
31. Get up and run
32. Buckle my Shoe (Jimmy Choo)
33. Dirty knees (All the threes / Two little fleas / All the feathers / Sherwood Forest)
    Sherwood Forest all the trees’
34. Ask for more
35. Jump and jive
36. Three dozen
37. More than Eleven (A flea in heaven)
38. Christmas cake
39. Those famous steps
    From the classic spy novel and film The 39 Steps’.
40. Naughty Forty (Life begins at / Two score)
41. Time for fun (Life’s begun)
42. Whinny the Pooh
43. Down on your knees
44. Droopy drawers (All the fours)
45. Halfway there (Halfway house)
46. Up to tricks
47. Four and seven
48. Four dozen
49. PC (Police Constable) (Copper / Nick nick)
    PC 49 was a well known radio police show in the 40s and 50s.
50. Half a century (Bulls eye / Blind 50)
51. Tweak of the thumb
52. Danny La Rue (Weeks in a year / Pack of cards)
53. Stuck in the tree (feng shui)
54. Clean the floor
55. Snakes alive (All the fives)
56. Was she worth it?
57. Heinz varieties
    Heinz (who make baked beans) historically made 57 varieties of products.
58. Make them wait (Choo choo Thomas)
59. Brighton line
    The London to Brighton bus service was the number 59.
60. Five dozen (Three score / Blind 60)
61. Bakers bun
62. Turn on the screw (Tickety boo)
63. Tickle me
64. Red raw (The Beatles)
    The Beatles is from the wellknown song When I’m Sixty Four’ and is often sung by players when the number is called out.
65. Old age pension
66. Clickety click (All the sixes)
67. Made in heaven
68. Saving grace
69. Either way up (The same both ways / Your place or mine / Meal for two)
70. Three score and ten (Blind 70)
71. Bang on the drum (JLo’s bum)
72. Six dozen (A crutch and a duck / Par for the course)
73. Queen B (Crutch and a flea)
74. Candy store
75. Strive and strive (On the skive)
76. Trombones (Was she worth it?)
    A musical piece called ‘76 trombones’ is commonly played at parades. Was she worth it? a wedding licence used to cost 7 shillings and 6 pence.
77. Sunset strip (All the sevens / Two little crutches)
78. Heavens gate
79. One more time
80. Eight and blank (Gandhi’s breakfast / Blind 80)
    Gandhi’s breakfast refers to his protest fast Eight Nothing’ or Ate Nothing’
81. Stop and run (Fat lady and a little wee)
82. Straight on through (Fat lady with a duck)
83. Time for tea (Fat lady with a flea / Ethel’s Ear)
84. Seven dozen
85. Staying alive
86. Between the sticks
87. Torquay in Devon (Fat lady with a crutch)
88. Two fat ladies (All the eights / Wobbly Wobbly)
89. Nearly there (All but one)
90. Top of the shop (Top of the house / Blind 90 / End of the line)