Thread: Bob's your uncle!

You know, I heard this splendidly funny phrase one time or another. Only I don't know how to use it! Could any fine Englishmen teach me how?

Learning Russian is easy! You just buy NJ Brown, go through the exercises, listen to a few tapes, travel to Russia and .. Bob's your uncle!

hmm what's that in Russian ... ВОТ! .. maybe?

Waxwing, you're a very fine Englishman, thank you. Are such derivations as "Bob used to be your uncle" and "Bob'll be your uncle" possible?

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Bob.
Hi Bob!

Originally Posted by Pravit

Waxwing, you're a very fine Englishman, thank you. Are such derivations as "Bob used to be your uncle" and "Bob'll be your uncle" possible?

Only in very witty jokes.
I don't know how serious you are, but a synonym might be 'It's as easy as that!'
I'm currently racking my brain trying to remember who your aunt is. Fanny?
Some Brit out there'll remember.

Sadly enough, Americans use references to your aunt Fanny as well. Now, I must lie in wait on the forum, waiting for the perfect moment to say "...and Bob's your uncle!"

"Bob's your uncle" is a pretty common saying here. Well with my friends and family. My friend Brede is quite fond of saying "robert's your relative"or Robert's your mother/fathers brother". I think I remember VendingMachine saying something like that once. at least I think it was him.

He said something like 'Roberto is your father's relative' (which could of course be you...).

There's an AA advert at the moment which says:

And Robert is very much your mother's brother!

Bobs your uncles kind of saying before you know it or as simple as that. So if you were to say something like

You just put a coulple of screws here, give it a coulple of twists and Bobs your Uncle

One story about the origin of this phrase is that it comes from when Primeminister Lord Robert Salisbury appointed Arthur Balfour, his nephew, to the post of Secretary for Ireland in 1887. Young Art was not really all that deserving and only got the post (an important one) as a result of his uncle. Hence, the phrase.

Most common use would be at the end of explaining how to do something . . . "you just stick this in here, twist that, pull on this and, hey, Bob's your uncle, you're done"

. . . . actually, on second thoughts, that sounds vaguely obscene.