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Many numbers have a 'nickname', a phrase that is called along with the number to clarify what has been called and inject an occasional sense of fun into proceedings. This may be as simple as 'four and nine, forty-nine2' or as obtuse as 'two and six; bed and breakfast, twenty-six'.
Broadly speaking, nicknames fall into two categories: those with rhyme and those with reason. The number twenty has two nicknames which illustrate this. It is known as 'one score', as a score is twenty, and as 'getting plenty', because it rhymes with twenty. Which you prefer is down to personal taste, and most callers use a mixture of both. Many find the rhyming ones more difficult to remember; for example '34 – ask for more' could just as easily be the nickname for 54, but if you know that a bullseye in darts scores fifty then 'it's a bullseye! Number 50' is easy. There are a very few numbers which have both rhyme and reason, a few that raise a smile, and one or two sad lonely numbers that have no nickname at all.
Note that many professional halls do not encourage callers to use nicknames. This is because technically until the caller actually says the number itself, players can still claim on the last number. For example, the last number was 33, the caller then says 'all the twos, two little ducks...' but before he can say '22' someone calls 'HOUSE!' It is ambiguous then whether the number being called on is 22 or 33; according to the letter of the law only 33 can be claimed on, but most people will naturally shout as soon as they know they have won. Someone claiming on 22 in this case would not win.
Calling these numbers follows the format 'On its own, nickname, number 'x'. These are suggestions of the most common nicknames for the single digit numbers.
1. Kelly's Eye3; Bingo baby; at the beginning.
2. One little duck4; me and you; Doctor Who.
3. I’m free; one little flea5; Debbie McGee.
4. Knock on the door; the one next door.
5. Man alive.
6.Chopsticks.
7.Lucky for some; lucky; one little crutch6.
8.One fat lady7; garden gate.
9.Doctor's orders8.
These should be called as 'All the x's, nickname, xx'.
11. Legs eleven. With a crowd with a good sense of humour, 'Kelly's legs' can be used if number one has already been called.
22. Two little ducks (crowd may answer by shouting 'quack, quack'); dinky doo.
33. All the feathers; two little fleas; 'all the trees, Sherwood Forest, 33'.
44. Droopy drawers. (With a little imagination, it could be the legs of two loose women, one heel flat against the wall.)
55. Snakes alive.
66. Clickety-click.
77. Sunset strip (from a late 1950s-early 60s TV show).
88. Two fat ladies. Crowd may answer by shouting 'wobble, wobble'.
Call the following as 'x-0, nickname, blind x0'.
10. Tony's Den9; Cock and Hen.
20. One score; getting plenty.
30. Dirty Gertie; flirty thirty; Burlington Bertie.
40. Two score.
50. Bullseye; half a century; or 'five-oh, five-oh, it's off to work we go'.
60. Three score; five dozen.
70. Three score and ten.
80. Gandhi's breakfast10.
90. Top of the shop; as far as we go.
Miscellaneous nicknames
There are many variations on a theme. Making up your own ryhming slang is considered completely acceptable; and use the duck / flea / crutch / fat lady combinations as much as you like, especially if they happen to rhyme ('Duck and a flea, twenty-three'). However, as noted before, there are some numbers players really like to hear. If you can remember these, it's a bonus.
12. A dozen; monkey's cousin.
13. Unlucky for some; baker's dozen.
14. Valentine's Day (14th February).
15. Rugby team.
16. Sweet sixteen; never been kissed.
17. Dancing queen11; often been kissed.
18. Key of the door; coming of age.
19. Goodbye teens.
21. Key of the door; Royal salute12.
23. Lord's My Shepherd13.
26. Bed and breakfast14; Half a crown15.
39. The famous steps; all the steps16.
41. Life's begun.
42. The famous street in Manhattan.
45. Halfway house; halfway there (to 90).
57. Heinz varieties; all the beans.
59. The Brighton Line17
64. The Beatles' number (crowd may sing 'When I'm 64').
65. Old age pension18
76. Was she worth it?19
83. Ethel's Ear20
89. Nearly there; all but one; one away (from 90).
You'll notice that there aren't many nicknames for the higher numbers, and this is where a bit of improvisation comes in handy. If you've had a few nicknameless numbers come out in a row, being able to flip out a 'Stitch in time, seventy-nine' sets you out from the crowd.
1 At least initially, it is far easier to work out the prize money if you do the former.
2 Every number called should have the digits described in this way; twin numbers should be 'all the x's, xx'.
3 After one-eyed Australian gangster Ned Kelly.
4 The shape looks a bit like a swan.
5 Looks a bit like a flea.
6 Guess what? Looks like a crutch.
7 Resembling the two halves of a large lady. Getting the idea?
8 In WW1, the British pill no. 9 was a laxative. To be 'Number Nine' was to be sick.
9 Tony Blair living at 10 Downing Street. The nickname changes with Prime Ministers.
10 Imagine him sitting crosslegged with a big plate in front of him, looking from above.
11 From the Abba song of the same name
12 As in, a 21-gun salute for a Royal birthday or other celebration.
13 From Psalm 23.
14 Traditionally the cost of a nights' lodgings was 2 shillings sixpence, or two and six.
15 Equivalent to 2'6d. Or two and six.
16 From the 1935 Hitchcock film, itself based on the book by John Buchan.
17 The London-Brighton service was no. 59.
18 'Pension' age in the UK is at the age of 65.
19 The cost of a wedding licence used to be 7 shillings 6 pence.
20 Fat lady beside ear-shaped three.
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