Regimental Bingo Nicknames
Regimental Bingo Nicknames or Lingo The earliest record of soldiers playing the game in barracks is 1873, from an old soldier reminiscing about 30 years prior. Bingo was called 'House' in the Army, where there was a tradition of using regimental nicknames instead of numbers. Indeed, one of the first nicknames recorded is 'The Blind' alf 'undred' for 50. Anecdotally, a few people state there were nicknames for all the numbers; however, they only list a few. One of the best examples is from John Masters: "Company Quartermaster Sergeant Spencer, of C, was calling the numbers, and this card he was calling Regimental House: that is, when the number he had to call was [...]
The First Ever Recorded Game of Bingo
It's not every day you find an important piece of history, but I recently came across a catalogue listing for a film from the First World War. Amazingly, the film has been digitised. It is of one or more battalions of the Durham Light Infantry in the rear areas of the Western Front, autumn 1917. This is possibly the first ever recorded game of Bingo, also known as 'house' or 'housey-housey' at the time. It was the only 'gambling' game officially permitted in the armed forces. Source Imperial War Museum, Film Number: IWM 399 You can see the whole film here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022864 The film has no sound
Bingo Lingo: Legs Eleven is innocent!
Bingo Lingo: Legs Eleven is innocent! Legs Eleven has been wrongly labelled as sexist. Its origin can be traced back to World War I. First seen in an article in an Australian publication in 19161, which is fitting because Australia is likely the origin of the term. Legs 11 is Aussie slang for a tall, thin man.2 Group portrait of all the original officers and men of the 11th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, AIF. The group of over 685 soldiers are spread over the side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) near Mena camp. It is also the nickname of the 11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force3, one of the first Australian infantry units raised during [...]
What is the origin of Bingo Lingo “Little Jimmy”?
What is the origin of Bingo Lingo "Little Jimmy"? "Little Jimmy" is the lingo for Number 1 in Bingo. Contrary to popular belief, Little Jimmy was not the inspiration for the Bingo Lingo Call Little Jimmy, Number 1. The term was first recorded in 1900, 72 years before "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" was a hit. While many believe that "Little Jimmy" is a more recent bingo call originating in the 1970s from Little Jimmy Osmond1, who had the UK Christmas number one hit in 1972 with "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool", this is not the case. At just nine years and eight months old, Jimmy Osmond became the youngest person to have a number [...]
Compass Group Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Society
Compass Group, One Retail Hire Monet Bingo Machine to Raise Money for Alzheimer's Society Add a spark of fun to your event with our professional bingo machine rental services, crafted to deliver excitement and connection. Our state-of-the-art Monet Bingo Machine fully customisable with your branding, guarantees an effortless and memorable bingo experience for any gathering. We were delighted to partner with Compass Group, One Retail, at their annual managers’ conference, where bingo served as a refreshing break from training and information sessions. Using our Monet Bingo Machine, they created a vibrant atmosphere that raised over £700 for the Alzheimer’s Society. We provided the machine, vintage bingo balls, all bingo tickets, and pens/dabbers, ensuring a seamless event. The [...]