Bob's your uncle
Encyclopedia
Bob's your uncle is an expression commonly used mainly in Britain and Commonwealth nations. Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions to mean, "And there you have it", or "You're all set". For example, "To make a ham sandwich, just put a piece of ham between two slices of buttered bread, and Bob's your uncle". (Cf.
voilà and presto.) It is sometimes elaborately phrased Robert is your father's brother or similar for humorous effect.
Roberts, Roberts of Kandahar
). Roberts was an Anglo-Irish
soldier, born in India
, who fought and commanded in India, Abyssinia
, Afghanistan
, and South Africa
. Roberts was one of the most successful commanders of the 19th century and was cited for numerous acts of gallantry. His finest hour was perhaps the ending of the siege of Kandahar
in 1878, when he marched a force of 10,000 men more than 300 miles from Kabul
, winning a battle, and ending the siege. Well respected amongst his men, Roberts was affectionately referred to as 'Uncle Bobs'. Generally meaning 'all will be well', and often used to indicate a successful outcome, the phrase "Bob's your uncle" is said to have been a term originally used by Roberts's men to increase confidence among the ranks and imply that all would be well.
Another explanation is that the phrase dates to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury decided to appoint Arthur Balfour
to the prestigious and sensitive job of Chief Secretary for Ireland
. Lord Salisbury was Arthur Balfour's uncle. The difficulty with that explanation is that—despite extensive searching—the earliest known published uses of the phrase are from 1932, two from 1937, and two from 1938. (See these and other quotes in American Dialect Society
list archived posts by Stephen Goranson.)
Another theory is that it derives from the slang phrase "All is bob," meaning that everything is safe, pleasant or satisfactory. This dates to the eighteenth century or so (it’s in Captain Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue of 1785). There have been several other slang expressions which included the word "bob," some associated with thievery or gambling, and from the eighteenth century on it was also a common generic name for someone one did not know. Any or all of these might have contributed to the genesis of the expression.
Cf.
cf., an abbreviation for the Latin word confer , literally meaning "bring together", is used to refer to other material or ideas which may provide similar or different information or arguments. It is mainly used in scholarly contexts, such as in academic or legal texts...
voilà and presto.) It is sometimes elaborately phrased Robert is your father's brother or similar for humorous effect.
Etymology
One theory is that the phrase refers to Lord Frederick Roberts (1832–1914. 1st EarlEarl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
Roberts, Roberts of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
). Roberts was an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
soldier, born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, who fought and commanded in India, Abyssinia
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Roberts was one of the most successful commanders of the 19th century and was cited for numerous acts of gallantry. His finest hour was perhaps the ending of the siege of Kandahar
Battle of Kandahar
The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle in southern Afghanistan was fought between the British forces under command of General Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, inflicting nearly 3,000 casualties in...
in 1878, when he marched a force of 10,000 men more than 300 miles from Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, winning a battle, and ending the siege. Well respected amongst his men, Roberts was affectionately referred to as 'Uncle Bobs'. Generally meaning 'all will be well', and often used to indicate a successful outcome, the phrase "Bob's your uncle" is said to have been a term originally used by Roberts's men to increase confidence among the ranks and imply that all would be well.
Another explanation is that the phrase dates to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury decided to appoint Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
to the prestigious and sensitive job of Chief Secretary for Ireland
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
. Lord Salisbury was Arthur Balfour's uncle. The difficulty with that explanation is that—despite extensive searching—the earliest known published uses of the phrase are from 1932, two from 1937, and two from 1938. (See these and other quotes in American Dialect Society
American Dialect Society
The American Dialect Society, founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society publishes the academic journal, American Speech...
list archived posts by Stephen Goranson.)
Another theory is that it derives from the slang phrase "All is bob," meaning that everything is safe, pleasant or satisfactory. This dates to the eighteenth century or so (it’s in Captain Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue of 1785). There have been several other slang expressions which included the word "bob," some associated with thievery or gambling, and from the eighteenth century on it was also a common generic name for someone one did not know. Any or all of these might have contributed to the genesis of the expression.