# ...and piss on a gopher it works!(American pride) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595 "2004-06-04T09:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/1 "2004-06-04T09:35:08Z")
It has long been apparent that the American vernacular has been missing a phrase. And that phrase has been dominated by dirty engilsh speaking furiners. That phrase is “and Bob’s your uncle” meaning “the obivious conclusion” or “the result is”. While, several years ago I personally untook an endeavor to introduce a phrase of similar meaning, and similar obscure pointlessness. And the phrase I created was “and piss on a gopher” Well tonight at at bar the phrase was used in the correct context to me in a bar. I think the initial inertia has been broken, and this phrase should take off and confuse those hootin-falutin furiners. So everybody who believes in America should start using this phrase to confuse any other English speakers(for example we are far behind the Aussies and Irish in creating pointless colorful phrases) correct usage example. “So I gapped the plus, replaced the wires, polished the terminals, and set the timing, and piss on a gopher, that ol’ V8 now purrs like a horny polecat on a washing machine.” In other news, I finally finished and submitted my Masters thesis. It’s not technically done, but my most polished draft has been sent to my advisor for his review. And I’m sure that, in the time-honored tradition of thesis advisors everywhere, he will rip it to shreads and make me redo 90 percent of it, but until I recieve the advisorial reviewment return, there is nothing more I can do, so I have an estimated 5-6 days of drunken debauchery(starting 6 hours ago) until the second round of stressed world-hatred begins. So I’m in a really goofy mood. which explains the OP. _performs the ‘thesis is done’ happy dance in 12 movements (11 of which involve pouring and drinking liquor)_ ---
**Author:** ![Sami41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@Sami41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sami41)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/2 "2004-06-04T11:38:33Z")
Well, piss on a gopher, that horny polecat finally finished his thesis on washing machines! Am I close? ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/3 "2004-06-04T13:20:15Z")
check this: [link](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-bob1.htm) and, using the example in the link and replacing bob’s your uncle with…well, you know, you get: “You put the plug in here, press that switch, and piss on a gopher!”. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/4 "2004-06-04T16:13:11Z")
On this side of the pond, it’s not, “…and Bob’s your uncle,” it’s “…and Jeb’s your brother!” “Piss on a gopher” has a certain folksy charm, though. Who knows which way the language vine will grow. Maybe in a few decades, we’ll puzzle our wide-eyed grand-nephews with, “…and your brother Jeb pisses on an electric gopher!” What the hey, they’ll already think we’re daft, and they hope to grow up that way. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/5 "2004-06-04T16:44:12Z")
But, surely Bjorn Stronginthearm is my uncle! ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/6 "2004-06-04T16:45:18Z")
“Piss on a gopher” has too many syllables. How about “spank a gopher” or “slap a gopher”? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/7 "2004-06-04T16:47:17Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > On this side of the pond, it’s not, “…and Bob’s your uncle,” it’s “…and Jeb’s your brother!” “Piss on a gopher” has a certain folksy charm, though. Who knows which way the language vine will grow. Maybe in a few decades, we’ll puzzle our wide-eyed grand-nephews with, “…and your brother Jeb pisses on an electric gopher!” What the hey, they’ll already think we’re daft, and they hope to grow up that way. 🆒 Which pond is this? A pond in Indiana? 😉 I’ve never heard of Jeb, but Uncle Bob and I go way back. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/8 "2004-06-04T23:43:10Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Which pond is this? A pond in Indiana? 😉 I’ve never heard of Jeb, but Uncle Bob and I go way back. Whoosh me if you must, but I’m treating this as an honest question. :dubious: “Bob’s your uncle” is a UK phrase meaning, “and there you have it,” and it’s derived from a guy who got his job because his Uncle Bob was a powerful politician. “On this side of the pond” is a US phrase meaning “in North America, not in Europe.” The pond, of course, is the Atlantic Ocean. “And Jeb’s your brother” like Uncle Bob, refers to a guy who got his job, in part, because his brother Jeb was governor of Florida. “Brother Jeb pisses on an electric gopher” gets a little more complex, and probably too multi-layered for **anybody** to get it. Fold brother Jeb into the OP’s “piss on a gopher,” and add a reference to wisdom from the venerable **Ranger Jeff (aka Yer Ranger)** as follows: “Some men learn by observing. Some men learn by reading. Others have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” --Ranger Jeff 😃 Sometimes, in cooking, I put in so many different spices that you can’t identify any of them. Sometimes, in writing, (writhing?) I make a joke so multi-layered that I’m the only one who gets it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/9 "2004-06-05T00:10:54Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > “Piss on a gopher” has too many syllables. How about “spank a gopher” or “slap a gopher”? Smack the gopher. Gotta be smack. Although all three sound like masturbation slang. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/10 "2004-06-05T00:59:51Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Whoosh me if you must, but I’m treating this as an honest question. :dubious: > > “Bob’s your uncle” is a UK phrase meaning, “and there you have it,” and it’s derived from a guy who got his job because his Uncle Bob was a powerful politician. > > “On this side of the pond” is a US phrase meaning “in North America, not in Europe.” The pond, of course, is the Atlantic Ocean. > > “And Jeb’s your brother” like Uncle Bob, refers to a guy who got his job, in part, because his brother Jeb was governor of Florida. > > “Brother Jeb pisses on an electric gopher” gets a little more complex, and probably too multi-layered for **anybody** to get it. Fold brother Jeb into the OP’s “piss on a gopher,” and add a reference to wisdom from the venerable **Ranger Jeff (aka Yer Ranger)** as follows: > > “Some men learn by observing. > Some men learn by reading. > Others have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” --Ranger Jeff 😃 > > Sometimes, in cooking, I put in so many different spices that you can’t identify any of them. Sometimes, in writing, (writhing?) I make a joke so multi-layered that I’m the only one who gets it. :smack: Methinks there was multiple whooshings going on here. I do know the meaning of “this side of the pond” - but was not picking up on your wry twist of the etymology of “Bob’s Yer Uncle”… I thought you were genuinely implying that we don’t say “Bob’s Yer Uncle” on this side of the pond. Do 2 whooshes make a right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/11 "2004-06-05T07:03:50Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > But, surely Bjorn Stronginthearm is my uncle! Or, in this modern era (what century is it?), perhaps your aunt. ---
**Author:** ![GopherGod72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@GopherGod72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GopherGod72)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/12 "2004-06-05T17:07:31Z")
:dubious: I don’t think this is such a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/13 "2004-06-05T17:23:41Z")
Well, what do the other 71 other GopherGods think? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/14 "2004-06-06T03:40:08Z")
According to [The Word Detective](http://www.word-detective.com) (a site well worth perusing): > [@](#): > > “Bob’s your uncle” is a way of saying “you’re all set” or “you’ve got it made.” 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.” As a totally pointless and mundane addon, I actually know an elderly lady who would have to say instead “and Bob’s my great-grandfather”, as she is a granddaughter of the aforesaid Robert Cecil. \ She was a Wren (Womens Royal Naval Service) officer in WW2 and has a number of interesting stories about taking dictation from Churchill (still in bed and in his pyjamas) and de Gaulle (insulted by having a _woman_ assigned to the job), and of working as personal secretary to Admiral Max Horton, who was Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches and thus responsible for the British defense against the German U-boats in the Atlantic.\. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-piss-on-a-gopher-it-works-american-pride/248595/15 "2004-06-06T03:42:51Z")
> [@Kallessa](#): > > Or, in this modern era (what century is it?), perhaps your aunt. The Century of the Fruitbat, of course.