Just what in the heck does the phrase “And Bob’s your Uncle” mean, and where did it come from?? I’ve heard it a few times, always from someone in the UK. Please help, it’s driving me crazy.
It basically means a fait accompli, something that is certain to happen, or something along those lines.
Allegedly, the phrase originated with the appointment of somebody to the position of Chief Secretary for Ireland because of the political pull of a relative – an uncle Robert who was a noble of some sort. (I picked that bit up from this site, which covers all manner of Britishisms.
I’m very suspicious about the story of this phrase having something to do with someone who was a nephew of someone named Robert. That sounds very typical of folk etymology stories to me. But, in any case, what the phrase means is “There you go,” or “You’ve reached the place you were looking for.” It’s used at the end of a description of how to do something or how to acquire something or how to go somewhere. It’s like saying, “And that’s all you need to do.”
So when a British aquaintance says “Bob’s your uncle,” just smile and say “Tinker to Evers to Chance” in agreement.
I thought maybe it referred, sarcasticaly, to the man your mom is dating.
Peace,
mangeorge
Surely my uncle is Henrij the Mercotan. Henk to his friends.
Pratchett forced me to look up this one…
(just my luck: my favorite publishing author includes all this British humor and references what make my brain overheat)
I was tutoring someone from Australia in Physics. She would use that phrase instead of “QED”.
“The Word Detective” agrees with Reeder.
http://www.word-detective.com/back-f.html#bob
It’s a catch phrase dating back to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Cecil (a.k.a. Lord Salisbury) decided to appoint a certain Arthur Balfour to the prestigious and sensitive post of Chief Secretary for Ireland. Not lost on the British public was the fact that Lord Salisbury just happened to be better known to Arthur Balfour as “Uncle Bob.” In the resulting furor over what was seen as an act of blatant nepotism, “Bob’s your uncle” became a popular sarcastic comment applied to any situation where the outcome was preordained by favoritism. As the scandal faded in public memory, the phrase lost its edge and became just a synonym for “no problem.”
Whenever one of my English co-workers says “…and, Bobs your uncle.” one of my other English co-workers always says " …and Fannys your aunt.".
Anyone ever heard this?
Er… not quite. And ‘fait accompli’ doesn’t mean ‘something that is certain to happen’, either. Let me try to untangle the strings here.
‘… and Bob’s your uncle’ is a phrase which generally concludes a stated plan of action or a proposed series of steps. It means ‘and the outcome will be as desired’ or ‘and you’re bound to be successful’.
The derivatin has been supplied by several posters.
A ‘fait accompli’ is a ‘done deed’, something which you cannot do anything about. It generally refers to other people’s plans which you may or may not agree with, but your agreement is irrelevant anyway because the plan is already in progress. If your partenr has already agreed and confirmed that you will both go to visit the Berkowitz’s on Saturday, and she tells you about it without consulting you first, you are being presented with a a fait accompli.
I have three nieces and one nephew. They would say this to me except that the oldest one is 5 and they just don’t quite appreciate puns yet.