Number | Nickname | Explanation |
---|---|---|
1 | Emma kai | The pun is military slang;[3] possibly a reference to Ned Kelly, from Ned Kelly's helmet, the eye slot resembling the number 1. Also after the Valiant comic strip 'Kelly's Eye' where the eponymous Kelly possessed a magic amulet. |
2 | One little duck. | From the resemblance of the number 2 to a duck; see '22' |
3 | Cup of tea | Rhymes with 'Three' |
4 | Knock at the door | Rhymes with 'Four' |
5 | Man alive | Rhymes with 'Five' |
6 | Half a dozen[4] | A common phrase meaning six units (see '12' below) |
7 | Lucky for Some[4] | 7 is considered a lucky number in some cultures |
8 | Garden gate[4] | Rhymes with 'Eight' |
9 | Brighton line[4][5] | A reference to the British railway line running from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton |
Doctor's Orders | Number 9 was a laxative pill given out by army doctors in WWII. | |
10 | (Boris’s) Den(formerly) Big Ben(currently) | The name refers to whoever currently resides at Number 10 Downing Street. Minecraft player response to the call to ring their built Big ben in Minecraft. (Debuted in October 2020) |
11 | Legs eleven | A reference to the shape of the number resembling a pair of legs, often chicken legs specifically.[6] The players often wolf whistle in response. |
12 | One dozen | A reference to there being 12 units in one dozen. |
13 | Unlucky for some | A reference to 13 being an unlucky number. |
14 | Valentines Day | This name is given because on 14 February every year, we celebrate St. Valentines Day. |
15 | Young and Keen | Fifteen rhymes with keen |
16 | Never been kissed[2] | After the song Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed |
17 | Dancing Queen | ABBA's song Dancing Queen has the number mentioned in the lyrics. |
18 | Coming of Age | Eighteen is the age of maturity in the UK. |
19 | Goodbye Teens | Nineteen is the age after which people stop being teenagers. |
20 | One Score | A reference to there being 20 units in one score. |
21 | Key of the Door | The traditional age of majority. |
22 | Two little ducks | The numeral 22 resembles the profile of two ducks.[6] Response is often 'quack, quack, quack'. |
23 | The Lord is My Shepherd Thee and Mee | The first words of Psalm 23 of the Old Testament How to play fortune teller. Rhymes with (Twenty) Three |
24 | Two dozen | 12 × 2 = 24. See 12. |
25 | Duck and dive | Rhymes with '(Twenty) Five', and is made up of a '2' – resembles a duck, and a '5' – resembles an upside-down '2'. |
26 | Half a crown | Pre-decimalised currency in the UK. (See half crown) |
27 | Duck and a crutch. | The number 2 looks like a duck (see '2') and the number 7 looks like a crutch. |
28 | In a state. | 'Two and eight' is rhyming slang for 'state'. |
29 | Rise and Shine | Rhymes with '(Twenty) Nine' |
30 | ||
Dirty Gertie[1] | Common rhyme derived from the given name Gertrude, used as a nickname for the statue La Delivrance installed in North London in 1927. The usage was reinforced by Dirty Gertie from Bizerte, a bawdy song sung by Allied soldiers in North Africa during the Second World War.[7] | |
31 | Get Up and Run[1] | Rhymes with '(Thirty) One' |
32 | Buckle My Shoe | Rhymes with '(Thirty) Two' |
33 | Dirty knee | Rhymes with 33 |
34 | Ask for More | Rhymes with '(Thirty) Four' |
35 | Jump and Jive[2] | A dance step |
36 | Three dozen | 3 x 12 = 36. Refer to 12 above |
38 | Christmas cake | Cockney rhyming slang |
39 | Steps | From the 39 Steps |
40 | Life Begins | refers to the proverb 'life begins at forty' |
43 | down on your knees | This was a phrase that was made popular during wartime by soldiers. |
44 | Droopy drawers[5] | Rhyme that refers to sagging trousers.[citation needed] |
45 | Halfway there | Being halfway towards 90 |
46 | up to tricks | rhyming |
48 | Four Dozen | 4 x 12 = 48. Refer to 12 above. |
49 | PC | Refers to the BBC Radio series 'The Adventures of PC 49'. Usual response is 'Evening all'. |
50 | It's a bullseye! | Referring to the darts score. |
5 – 0, 5 – 0, it's off to work we go | Referring to Snow White | |
52 | Danny La Rue[8] | A reference to drag entertainer Danny La Rue. Also used for other numbers ending in '2' (see '72' below). |
Chicken vindaloo[1] | Introduced by Butlins in 2003.[1] | |
Deck of Cards | Number of cards in a deck | |
53 | Here comes Herbie | 53 is the racing number of Herbie the VW Beetle. Players may reply 'beep beep'! |
54 | Man at the door | Rhymes with '(Fifty) Four' |
55 | All the fives[4] | Ged Kelly |
56 | Shotts Bus[4] | Refers to the former number of the bus from Glasgow to Shotts. |
Was She Worth It? | This refers to the pre-decimal price of a marriage licence in Britain, 5/6d. The players shout back 'Every Penny' | |
57 | Heinz Varieties[4] | Refers to 'Heinz 57', the '57 Varieties' slogan of the H. J. Heinz Company. |
59 | The Brighton Line | Quote from The Importance of Being Earnest. Also, 59 was the starting 2 digits of all original Brighton telephone numbers[citation needed]. |
60 | Grandma's getting frisky | Pretty close to a rhyme with 'sixty' |
62 | Tickety-boo | Rhymes with '(Sixty) Two' |
63 | Katie's bad knee | Reference to the Warwickshire resident of the same name – local use only. |
64 | Almost retired | A reference to the former British male age of mandatory retirement – specifically being one year away from it. |
65 | Retirement age, Stop work[2] | A reference to the former male British age of mandatory retirement. |
66 | Clickety click[5] | Rhymes with '(Sixty) Six' |
67 | Stairway to Heaven | Coined by Andrew 'CIP' Lavelle |
68 | Pick a Mate | Coined by Edward James Mackey II |
69 | Anyway up, Meal for Two, A Favourite of mine[2] | A reference to the 69 sex position. |
71 | Bang on the Drum[2] | Rhymes with '(Seventy) One' |
72 | Danny La Rue[2] | Rhymes with '(Seventy) Two' |
73 | Queen Bee. Under The Tree. Lucky 3[9] | Rhymes with '(Seventy) Three' |
74 | Hit the Floor | Coined by Ann Fitzsimons |
76 | Trombones[10] | 'Seventy-Six Trombones' is a popular marching song, from the musical The Music Man. |
77 | Two little crutches[10] | The number 77 resembles 2 little 'Crutches' |
Sunset Strip | From the 1960s television series '77 Sunset Strip'. Usually sung by the players. | |
78 | 39 more steps | 39 + 39 = 78. Refer to 39 being '39 steps' above. |
80 | Gandhi's Breakfast | 'Ate nothing' |
81 | Fat Lady with a walking stick | The number 8 is supposed to visually represent a lady with ample bosom and hips, while the number 1 is supposed to visually represent a walking stick |
83 | Time for Tea | Rhymes and scans[11] |
84 | Seven dozen | 7 x 12 = 84. Refer to 12 being 'a dozen' above |
85 | Staying alive[12] | Rhymes with '(Eighty) Five' |
86 | Between the sticks | Rhymes with '(Eighty) Six'. Refers to the position of goalkeeper in football. |
87 | Torquay in Devon | Rhymes with '(Eighty) Seven'. Torquay which is in the county of Devon, rather than one of several other Torquays which were elsewhere in the British Empire. |
88 | Two Fat Ladies[13] | The number 88 visually represents a lady next to another lady. Refer to 81 above. Players can reply with 'Wobble, wobble.' |
89 | Nearly there | 89 is one away from 90 (the end of the bingo numbers). |
Almost there | ||
90 | Top of the shop[4] | 90 is the highest (top) number in bingo. Shop refers to the entire game of bingo (and also rhymes with 'top'). |