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I’m calling shenanigans. No way someone as well-read (and smug about it) as Clyde would have never read Pratchett. And there’s no way you can read much Discworld (especially the latter volumes) without encountering that idiom.
Found 2 possible origins and they’re miles apart. Both begin in the UK, one in England, one in Scotland. The first idea, and one that many believe, is that Bob and his nephew were the Marquess of Salisbury and Arthur Balfour. Salisbury is widely believed to be the Uncle Bob that the expression refers to. ‘Bob’s your uncle’ is said to derive from the supposed nepotism of Lord Salisbury, in appointing a favorite nephew, Arthur Balfour, to several political posts in the 1880s. The other potential source is the music hall. The earliest known example of the phrase in print is in the bill for a performance of a musical revue in Dundee called Bob’s Your Uncle, which appeared in the Scottish newspaper The Angus Evening Telegraph in June 1924.
There are many theories as to the source of the phrase. One that seems to be most “popular” refers to Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil’s nepotism in the 1890’s. Etymologists go back and forth on this.
mysterysciencefreezer about 1 month ago
I’m calling shenanigans. No way someone as well-read (and smug about it) as Clyde would have never read Pratchett. And there’s no way you can read much Discworld (especially the latter volumes) without encountering that idiom.
crosscompiler Premium Member about 1 month ago
aka Robert’s your mother’s brother.
Caretaker24523 about 1 month ago
Found 2 possible origins and they’re miles apart. Both begin in the UK, one in England, one in Scotland. The first idea, and one that many believe, is that Bob and his nephew were the Marquess of Salisbury and Arthur Balfour. Salisbury is widely believed to be the Uncle Bob that the expression refers to. ‘Bob’s your uncle’ is said to derive from the supposed nepotism of Lord Salisbury, in appointing a favorite nephew, Arthur Balfour, to several political posts in the 1880s. The other potential source is the music hall. The earliest known example of the phrase in print is in the bill for a performance of a musical revue in Dundee called Bob’s Your Uncle, which appeared in the Scottish newspaper The Angus Evening Telegraph in June 1924.
uniquename about 1 month ago
What kind of “bank job” would Dabney arrange for you?
jamestipton222 about 1 month ago
Monty Python used it—-especially Eric Idle.If you dont know him, well…..
Will_Scarlet about 1 month ago
Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt.
enderbeing about 1 month ago
And Dick’s your best friend.
sperry532 about 1 month ago
There are many theories as to the source of the phrase. One that seems to be most “popular” refers to Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil’s nepotism in the 1890’s. Etymologists go back and forth on this.