Two fat ladies no more... it’s bingo for snowflakes!
THEY are calls which have been keeping bingo players on the edge of their seats since the Victorian era.
But now terms such as ‘two fat ladies’ for 88 and ‘heaven’s gate’ for 78 are being replaced by new call-outs to keep pace with snowflake sensitivities and millennial buzzwords.
Members of the ‘woke’ generation – conscious of discrimination in society – are using ‘Wills and Kate’ for 88 and ‘haters gonna hate’ for 78. They have also coined terms like ‘83, gluten free’ (previously time for tea) and ‘9, get an Uber from mine’ (doctor’s orders).
The new calls are gaining such popularity they threaten to take over from time-honoured favourites. They first started appearing in online chatrooms, but Foxy Bingo is now considering redesigning its game to use them.
With millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 – increasingly keen on the game, traditional bingo callers may have to get used to shouting out lines such as ‘86, Instagram pics’ ( previously between the sticks) and ‘68, late for my Tinder date’ (pick a mate).
Others include ‘48, not another Brexit debate’ (four dozen), ‘74, recycle more’ (hit the floor) and ‘7, flexitarian’ (lucky). Foxy Bingo has collated the top 20 new calls being used by younger players.
The firm’s Jonathan Bowden said it is looking at revamping its game to incorporate the language. He added: ‘I’m sure it won’t be long before Megxit is being used.’
It comes after Mecca Bingo updated its calls in 2016 in a similar trend, using girl band Little Mix for six. Bingo dates back to Italy in the 16th century. It became popular in the UK in the 19th century with many of the game calls related to cockney rhyming slang.
Although many traditional bingo halls have closed down, the game boomed when online versions were created. Experts say there are now 100million bingo players around the world with 80 per cent women.