PC

en-noun

PC (countable and uncountable, plural PCs)

(bingo) forty-nine (an allusion to a cartoon character, Police Constable 49)


dab

en-verb

dab (third-person singular simple present dabs, present participle dabbing, simple past and past participle dabbed)

dabs (present singular third-person)
dabbing (participle present)
dabbed (participle past)
dabbed (past)

From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).
The noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.
African-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).

onomatopoeic

imitative

cog

(bingo) Synonym of daub (to mark a bingo card)


two fat ladies

(bingo) A traditional call for the number eighty-eight.


legs eleven

(bingo) A traditional call for the number eleven usually during the game Bingo.


dozen

→ Bengali: ডজন (ḍojon)

⇒ Chinese: 打 (dá)

→ Vietnamese: tá

→ Hindi: दर्जन (darjan)

→ Fiji Hindi: darjan

desctree

⇒ Japanese: ダース (dāsu)
→ Korean: 다스 (daseu)

→ Manx: dussan

→ Maori: taihana

→ Scottish Gaelic: dusan

→ Swahili: dazeni

→ Welsh: dwsin

From Middle English dozen, dozein, doseyne, from Old French dozaine (“a group of twelve”) (Modern French douzaine), from doze (“twelve”) + -aine (“-ish”), from Latin duodecim (“twelve”) (from duo (“two”) + decem (“ten”)) + -ana (“-ish”).


lucky

From Middle English lukky, equivalent to luck + -y. Cognate with Scots lucky (“lucky”), West Frisian lokkich (“lucky, fortunate”), Dutch gelukkig (“lucky, fortunate, happy”). Compare also Danish lykkelig (“happy”), Swedish lycklig (“happy, lucky”), German glücklich (“happy”), Saterland Frisian glukkelk (“happy”).


sweet sixteen

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-sweet sixteen.wav


bingo

en-noun

bingo (countable and uncountable, plural bingos)

→ Polish: bingo

Alternative form of bing, suggesting a ringing sound. Attested since 1925.

(uncountable) A game of chance for two or more players, who mark off numbers on a grid as they are announced by the caller; the game is won by the first person to call out "bingo!" or "house!" after crossing off all numbers on the grid or in one line of the grid.


one fat lady

From the number eight's similar appearance to that of an overweight woman.


top of the shop

Presumably chosen for the rhyme, and because 90 is the highest number in bingo.


doctor's orders

A laxative pill, "number 9", once issued in the British army


bed and breakfast

bed and breakfast (plural bed and breakfasts)

From the notion that two shillings and six pence was once the price of lodging and breakfast in an inn.

Bingo calls that might leave the budding old-timer generally baffled include:[…] 26 ― Bed and breakfast. Traditionally it would cost two and six – two shillings and six pence. Now its £180 a night but you get biscuits.

[2008, Marcus Waring, The Deranged Book for Old Timers, page 68:


Valentine's Day

en-proper noun

Valentine's Day (plural Valentine's Days)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Valentine's Day.wav


caller

From Middle English callar, equivalent to call + -er.

(bingo) The person who stands at the front of the hall and announces the numbers.


daub

en-verb

daub (third-person singular simple present daubs, present participle daubing, simple past and past participle daubed)

daubs (present singular third-person)
daubing (participle present)
daubed (participle past)
daubed (past)

From Middle English daub (noun), from Middle English dauben (“to plaster or whitewash; cover with clay; bespatter”, verb), from Old Northern French dauber (“to whitewash; plaster”), of uncertain origin. Probably from Latin dealbāre (“to whiten thoroughly”).

der

(transitive, bingo) To mark spots on a bingo card, using a dauber.


Kelly's eye

(bingo) A traditional call for the number one.


Maggie's den

An allusion to prime minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street.

(bingo) A traditional call for the number ten.


clickety click

(bingo) A traditional call for the number sixty-six.


one little duck

From the number two's similar appearance to a duck.


Tom Mix

Cockney rhyming slang
Cockney rhyming slang


knock at the door

From the nursery rhyme One, Two, Buckle my shoe; Three, Four, Knock at the door.


unlucky for some

A reference to 13 being an unlucky number.


Boris's den

An allusion to British prime minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street.


never been kissed

After the song Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed


two little ducks

The digit 2 resembles the profile of a duck.

(bingo) A traditional call for the number twenty-two.


Tony's den

An allusion to prime minister Tony Blair; compare earlier Maggie's den.


halfway there

Since 45 is halfway to 90, which is the end of the bingo numbers.


key of the door

A reference to the traditional age of the majority.