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 one hit in the UK². However, “Little Jimmy” is actually one of the oldest bingo calls, having first been recorded in 1900 on a troop ship bound for the Boer War³. Therefore, it’s too early for the term to be inspired by Little Jimmy Osmond. Interestingly, the B-side of “Long Haired Lover,” titled “Mother or Mine,” has inspired another bingo call that we will cover in a future post.

A more plausible origin for “Little Jimmy” is from military slang, particularly Naval slang: the “Jimmy” on a ship refers to the number one officer, the First Lieutenant. As the Executive Officer, who is second in command to the Captain, the First Lieutenant is often referred to as “Number One” and is responsible for maintaining order on the ship. In earlier times, “jeminy” referred to neatness and spruceness, leading to the First Lieutenant being called “jeminy the one,” which later became “Jimmy the one.” ^{4, 5 & 6}

Perhaps the most famous “Jimmy the one” was Lt. Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh⁷, who married Princess Elizabeth on November 20, 1947. Prince Philip also holds the record as the longest-serving royal consort in British history.⁸

When you hire any of our bingo machines, we provide you with a complete list of bingo lingo, along with tips to help you get the most out of your event.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was the First Lieutenant (AKA Jimmy the One) of HMS Chequers.

References
¹Dr. Carolyn Downs, Bingo Number Names History And Meanings, https://playingbingo.co.uk/retail-bingo/bingo-history/number-names-history-meanings/, 18th September 2020

²Youngest performer to reach number 1 in the UK singles chart, Guinness World Records, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/95781-youngest-performer-to-reach-number-1-in-the-uk-singles-chart, Accessed 2nd July 2025

³An Anglo Indian in South Africa – Tommy on the Troopship, The Englishman, 28th June 1900

⁴Rick Jolly, Jackspeak, A guide to British Naval slang & usage, 3rd Edition, Osprey Publishing, 22 Feb 2018

⁵Men and Matters – Naval Nicknames, The Bradford Daily Telegraph, 14th January 1905, Page 4 and also Naval Nicknames, The Manchester Evening News, 14th January 1905, Page 6

⁶John Conroy Hutcheson, Young Tom Bowling, Frederick Warne, 1896, page 149

⁷Dermot Morrah, Little Princess Becomes Queen, The Ladies’ Home Journal, June 1953, Page 158

⁸Prince Philip was the UK’s longest serving consort – but what does the role involve? itv.com, https://www.itv.com/news/2021-04-10/prince-philip-was-the-uks-longest-serving-consort-but-what-does-the-role-involve, 10 April 2021