Bingo: Kelly's Eye

The game of bingo has a number of features that make it unique. One of these is in the case of live bingo where the caller not only calls out the actual numbers but, in addition, calls out a nickname or a mnemonic related to them. Certainly this can add a further fun element to the game, but the origins of the tradition are not entirely clear. It is probable that it was introduced to increase clarity and so reduce errors made by the Bingo players that could result from mishearing the intended number. In this brief article we will look at the origins of some of the more obscure calls.

The number one is often called Kelly's eye. On the face of it this must be the most obscure bingo calls of all. What possible connection can Kelly's eye have with the first prime number? Perhaps there was a famous Kelly who only had one eye. In fact it is rumoured that the call refers to Ned Kelly who was an Australian folk hero and outlaw who was eventually hanged for murdering several policemen. He was only twenty five your old when executed but there is absolutely no evidence that he only had one eye. In fact photographs of him taken shortly before his death show clearly that both eyes were in place. Others have claimed that the term refers to a comic book character called Tim Kelly who had in his possession the eye of everlasting life, which gave him some superman type abilities. In fact, nobody really knows, apart from perhaps the first person to coin its use as a bingo call.

Another somewhat obscure call is Doctor's orders. This refers to the number 9, but why? A little research reveals that several people have stated that it refers to a laxative called "Number 9" that was prescribed by doctors. Others follow similar lines and suggest that it referred to the fact that anyone in the army who was under doctors orders had to obey a 9pm curfew. In fact there is a number 9 pill which is otherwise known as Lipovox and is made of natural antioxidants and used as a food supplement.

The game of bingo has a number of features that make it unique. One of these is in the case of live bingo where the caller not only calls out the actual numbers but, in addition, calls out a nickname or a mnemonic related to them. Certainly this can add a further fun element to the game, but the origins of the tradition are not entirely clear. It is probable that it was introduced to increase clarity and so reduce errors made by the Bingo players that could result from mishearing the intended number. In this brief article we will look at the origins of some of the more obscure calls.

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