Welcome back to Aquamaids Bingo’s ongoing series about the wild, wacky, and sometimes weird ways bingo is called across the pond. So far, we’ve covered 1-7, 8-15, 16-22, and 23-30. If you missed any of our previous series, click the corresponding numbers to find out more about the history and use of bingo calls around the world!
In America, we’re almost universally used to “N31,” “O67,” and so on. But on the Continent, and especially in the UK, bingo callers often add a little extra spin to their calls. Using a mix of pop culture references, Cockney-style rhyming slang, and sometimes drawing inspiration from the look of the numbers, these callers take bingo to a whole new level. Also, it’s important to remember that bingo cards elsewhere commonly go up to 90 and are only called by number, rather than by letter and number. So, in the UK, you may hear, “Two little ducks, 22!” instead of the customary “I-22” you’d hear in the US. Let’s dive into the calls 31-37, from your friends at Aquamaids Bingo!
Thirty-One
If being able to yell, “Bingo!” makes you want to “get up and run,” you’ll totally understand where the call for 31 came from. This is another example of the rhyme and word substitution games that make up so much of the Cockney dialect, and it’s sure to make you want to run a mile when N31 rounds out your card for the win!
Thirty-Two
It’s not too surprising that the calls for 32 relate to footwear. “Buckle my shoe” is traditional, after the old children’s rhyme “1, 2, buckle my shoe…” But for the pop culture cognoscenti, there’s only one name to call out: “Jimmy Choo!” Not only is the rhyme obvious, but Jimmy Choo’s designer shoes were the favorite of fictional writer and early-2000s sex symbol, Carrie Bradshaw, on Sex and the City, reinforcing the apparently eternal bond between 32 and shoes. No matter what footwear you’re rocking, if N32 nets you the big jackpot, they’ll be dancing shoes for sure!
Thirty-Three
Did you wash up today? If not, you might have “dirty knees,” or 33! Other ways of calling 33 include “All the 3s” or, for someone who’s feeling puckish, “Fish, chips, and peas,” the traditional British fast food trio. Any way you say it, if daubing N33 scores you the winning number, you’ll make a clean getaway with some cold hard cash for whatever cuisine you’re craving. (You can also check out the new menu offerings from Aquamaids Bingo’s own Jos Café!)
Thirty-Four
There’s nothing wrong with a little greed, which is why the call for 34 is so apropos. “Ask for more” is something you won’t need to do when you catch N34 and the huge jackpots at Aquamaids Bingo—but you’ll certainly want to!
Thirty-Five
If you remember the short-lived resurgence of West Coast Swing in the late 90s, you probably heard Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ “Zoot Suit Riot” or Brian Setzer’s “Jump, Jive and Wail” played on Top 40 stations until they became some of the dominant earworms of the era. Not at all coincidentally, “Jump and jive” is also the call for 35—and it’s definitely what you’ll feel like doing when you mark off N35 and get to call “Bingo!”
Thirty-Six
Thirty-six is one of those numbers that just seems to kind of—be there. There’s not much going on, not many pop culture references to the number, and very few reasons to really think of it unless it happens to be your age of that of someone you love. For this reason, “Three dozen” is and will for the foreseeable future be the call for 36. But it’s three dozen reasons to celebrate when N36 finishes off your card ahead of the competition!
Thirty-Seven
If 36 is one of the more boring numbers, 37 almost doesn’t exist, and it seems all the good rhymes involving “heaven” were already taken. But, with the linguistic creative license of Cockney, we get “more than eleven,” which has the same number of syllables and an almost rhyme. Even if the call is a little odd, N37 will give you way more than eleven reasons to be glad you came when you notch off your next win with it!
And there it is—another lesson in international bingo calls down. We at Aquamaids Bingo hope you’ve enjoyed it and found it both entertaining and informative. Keep an eye on this space as we finish out the numbers from N38 to O75! And as always, be sure to stop in at Aquamaids Bingo Hall at 1600 St. Martin Avenue in Santa Clara, CA for all the hot bingo action and wild excitement you want! Buy-in for your next session through our Android and iOS apps right from your smartphone or device, or visit our homepage to buy in on our secure website! Want to get a snack or a full meal? Jos Café has you covered with a newly revamped menu of tastebud-tickling treats from light nibbles to complete dinners, so you don’t have to miss a second of the exciting bingo action you crave. And remember, every time you play bingo at Aquamaids Bingo, you’re also supporting the talented young Artistic Swimming athletes of Santa Clara Aquamaids, so you can have a great time while helping a great cause!