Bob's your Uncle?

January 20, 2022, 06:28 PM

Schmelby

Bob's your Uncle?

I understand most phrases, but where in the hell does Bob's your uncle come from?
Silly rant, but Iv'e heard it for years and never got what it meant.

January 20, 2022, 06:43 PM

Gibb

I've always heard it as "you got something for nothing"

Amazon messed up an order and sent you a freebie?? Well, Bob's your uncle.

You got a cush job because your Dad owns the company? Well, Bob's your uncle.

January 20, 2022, 06:44 PM

Patriot

Did you Google it?

It’s a pretty straight forward answer.

_____________________________
Pledge allegiance or pack your bag!
The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
Spread my work ethic, not my wealth

January 20, 2022, 06:53 PM

Schmelby

No I didn't Google it .I understand the meaning, just didn't know where Bob
came into the picture.

January 20, 2022, 07:17 PM

ensigmatic

Search on it and ye shall find.

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher

January 20, 2022, 07:24 PM

V-Tail

The way I heard it, a political boss named Robert ("Bob") <something-or-other> appointed his nephew to a government position.

So it was said that the only reason the nephew got the job was because "Bob's your uncle."

January 20, 2022, 07:40 PM

Paten

Wow. I did a search on DuckDuckGo on the phrase and it essentially gave that explanation on the first result. Whoda thunk it?

January 20, 2022, 08:04 PM

Pyker

The reply, back in the old country used to be: 'Well, Bob's your uncle, and Charley's your aunt!'

'Charley' was a character in a farce from 1925 on stage and later filmed in 1941 and was 'adopted' as a humorous retort.

...

January 20, 2022, 08:15 PM

vthoky

Meaning and origin of the phrase Bob's your uncle.

January 20, 2022, 08:21 PM

parabellum

quote:
Originally posted by Paten:
Wow. I did a search on DuckDuckGo on the phrase and it essentially gave that explanation on the first result. Whoda thunk it?

Let's be nice, please

January 20, 2022, 08:58 PM

V-Tail

quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:

The reply, back in the old country used to be: 'Well, Bob's your uncle, and Charley's your aunt!'

'Charley' was a character in a farce from 1925 on stage and later filmed in 1941 and was 'adopted' as a humorous retort.

I always heard that the second part was "and Fanny's your aunt." I guess that there are many variations.

January 20, 2022, 09:25 PM

OKCGene

Pardon my slight thread drift, or more than slight, but that reminds me.

I used to work with a guy who was constantly saying "And if my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle". He would state that's how he dealt with us being constantly asked how/why we couldn't/wouldn't/didn't do something/anticipate things for the clients and other employees that wanted the impossible done immediately.

Thanks for letting me interrupt, but I still think that's funny.
.

January 20, 2022, 09:33 PM

Rey HRH

quote:
Originally posted by Patriot:
Did you Google it?

It’s a pretty straight forward answer.

I have never come across that phrase before. But, now, thanks to google and you, I know.

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.

January 20, 2022, 09:35 PM

Rey HRH

quote:
Originally posted by OKCGene:
Pardon my slight thread drift, or more than slight, but that reminds me.

I used to work with a guy who was constantly saying "And if my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle". He would state that's how he dealt with us being constantly asked how/why we couldn't/wouldn't/didn't do something/anticipate things for the clients and other employees that wanted the impossible done immediately.

Thanks for letting me interrupt, but I still think that's funny.
.

Here's what I think is a better turn of that phrase as I've heard it.

"Balls," said the queen, "if I had them, I'd be king!"

January 20, 2022, 10:07 PM

Pyker

quote:
Originally posted by V-Tail:
quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:

The reply, back in the old country used to be: 'Well, Bob's your uncle, and Charley's your aunt!'

'Charley' was a character in a farce from 1925 on stage and later filmed in 1941 and was 'adopted' as a humorous retort.
I always heard that the second part was "and Fanny's your aunt." I guess that there are many variations.

True story

January 21, 2022, 04:36 AM

PHPaul

quote:
Originally posted by Rey HRH:

Here's what I think is a better turn of that phrase as I've heard it.

"Balls," said the queen, "if I had them, I'd be king!"

The version I heard was "...if I had two, I'd be king" which I vocalize as "...if I had to (two) I'd be king!" Some folks notice the difference, some don't.

January 21, 2022, 06:27 AM

arfmel

“If bobele had beytse she’d be zeyde” is how I’ve heard it.

(If grannie had balls she’d be grandpa)

January 21, 2022, 08:10 AM

Flash-LB

People in the UK tend to talk funny.

AS George Bernard Shaw once said, two peoples separated by a common language.

January 21, 2022, 08:42 AM

Schmelby

I still haven't googled it,but V-Tails answer seems to make
the most sense. One of life's little mysteries.

January 22, 2022, 07:51 AM

Beancooker

I’ve used that term from time to time. I picked it up from a British friend when I was 20 or so.

My understanding and use of it, replaces “there ya go” or “there you have it”.

quote:
_{Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I'd fly to Turks and Caicos with live ammo falling out of my pockets before getting within spitting distance of NJ with a firearm.}