Two Fat Ladies to BAK: The Changing Face of Bingo Lingo
Published: 5th April, 2011
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Bingo games in the UK have always enjoyed their own lingo. In the early days of the game, when it was first being popularised in church and school halls across the country, early bingo callers would try and liven up proceedings by adding their own flourishes when calling the numbers. More often than not, these terms would be entirely colloquial and only understood by those playing in that very room. That these phrases are now lost in the mists of time is not as important as the fact that it began a trend that continues to this very day.
Over time and as the bingo culture caught on in the UK throughout the 60s and 70s, the game grew hugely in popularity over that period and people began playing all across the country. This, in combination with the advent of nationally syndicated games played live every day across the country, meant that a degree of uniformity in bingo lingo was required and over time, the callers repertoire of phrases became more universally accepted.
Therefore, for many bingo players, Kellys eye became number one, Doctors orders will always be number nine, while top of the shop will of course be 90! Indeed, so recognisable did the stock phrases for many numbers become, that many bingo players now have no need for the caller to state the number for them to mark it from the bingo card, the phrase being sufficient!
Even novice bingo players cannot fail to recognise some of the phrases that have become embedded in British culture as a result; two fat ladies, however politically incorrect nowadays, will always be regarded as a way to remember the number 88. Number seven will always be regarded as 'lucky', just as 13 is regarded as unlucky for some and two little ducks, so named because of the shape of the written number, will always be 22.
Sadly, a recent trend in bingo playing in the UK has seen increasing numbers of players change their bingo habits from playing inside large bingo halls to playing the game online. This has not only had an effect on how companies are now seeking to provide bingo to the UK public, with many opting to invest heavily in online bingo over the declining bingo hall, but it has also had an effect on changing the face of the lingo used in bingo around the UK.
The move from the bingo hall to online opened up the game to become far more inclusive and universal than ever before. Nowadays, when you log into a top bingo site, you are not just likely to be playing against locals, but instead against people located all over the UK and even further afield. As such, online bingo companies realised that many people would not understand the somewhat cryptic references used in traditional bingo lingo and as such, this aspect of the game has, sadly in many peoples view, been lost from the online variant.
What has sprung up in its place, though, is a new form of bingo lingo, based on abbreviations used for common words and phrases in chat rooms across the globe. With new bingo sites keen to advertise the community aspect of their game, bingo players are now learning new phrases to use while in the chat rooms playing games, which enables them to communicate quickly and effectively with other bingo players.
Some examples of this include:
AFK / BAK - away from keyboard / back at keyboard
- big smile
- evil grin
Gl - good luck
Ty - thank you
1tg, 2tg, 3tg - one, two or three numbers to go on their card to achieve bingo
Nowadays, bingo players on bingo websites, whether they are playing in a syndicated jackpot game, enjoying a game of free bingo, or even before they have registered upon a site and want to play no deposit bingo to see if a site suits them, are quickly learning this new form of bingo lingo. This then enables them to chat quickly and easily with new players; many sites even have a specific section to explain some of the many terms used in bingo chat rooms to new customers.
So, bingo is changing; the move from bingo halls to those who elect to play bingo online has changed not only how people play but the words used when playing. The bingo lingo evolution has started and it will be interesting to see whether it is unlucky for some or a gateway to heaven!