Bob's your uncle
English
Alternative forms
- Robert's your father's brother (humorous, rare)
- Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt
Etymology
Unknown. Several unsupported theories exist about its origin. A common explanation, involving Arthur Balfour gaining a promotion through the supposed intercession of his uncle, Robert Cecil, is doubted because the expression did not appear in print until 1924.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Phrase
Bob's your uncle
- (UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, idiomatic) "No problem", "the solution is simple", "there you have it", "It's that easy", "you have what you want", "all will be well; indicates a desirable conclusion has been reached.
- Insert the plug, press the switch, and Bob's your uncle.
- You want to go to the stadium? Go straight on until you reach the park, take the first left and Bob's your uncle!
- Synonyms: hey presto, job's a good 'un, voilà
- 1954, Brendan Behan, The Quare Fellow, Act 3, 1990, Cóilín Owens, Joan Newlon Radner, Irish Drama, 1900-1980, page 591,
- And you're not going to give me that stuff about just shoving over the lever and bob's your uncle. You forget the times the fellow gets caught and has to be kicked off the edge of the trap hole.
- 2007, Preston Gralla, Big Book of Windows Hacks, O'Reilly Media, page 314,
- Click the Import Contacts button and—Bob's your uncle (that's "Tada!" for my readers)—you should see a confirmation that all went according to plan, and your contacts have been imported into your Gmail address book.
- 2008, Julian Knight, Wills, Probate, & Inheritance Tax For Dummies, UK edition, unnumbered page,
- Simply type in a description of your item and Bob's your uncle: someone, somewhere in the eBay virtual universe will be selling something similar.
- 2011, Lauren O'Farrel, Stitch London: 20 Kooky Ways to Knit the City and More, page 112:
- All you need to do is learn to make these little loops and Bob's your uncle, you're a real live knitter.
Translations
desirable conclusion is reached
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References
- Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban, TAFKAC, 1994.
- Michael Quinion (2004), “Bob's your uncle”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.