Bob's your uncle

"Bob's your uncle" is a phrase commonly used in Ireland, United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries that means "and there it is" or "and there you have it". Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions or when a result is reached. The meaning is similar to that of the French expression "et voilà!" or the American "easy as pie" or "piece of cake".

For other uses, see Bob's your uncle (disambiguation).

Origin

Robert "Bob" Cecil

The origins are uncertain, but a common theory is that the expression arose after Conservative Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury ("Bob") appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1887, an act of nepotism, which was apparently both surprising and unpopular. Whatever other qualifications Balfour might have had, "Bob's your uncle" was seen as the conclusive one.[1][2]

See also

• All Sir Garnet
• Nepotism

References

1. Langguth, A. J. (1981). Saki: Life of Hector Hugh Munro.
2. Hendrickson, Robert (2008). The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Facts On File. ISBN 9780816069668.

Further reading

• Turner-Lord, Jann (1992). Bob's your uncle: a dictionary of slang for British mystery fans. Fithian Press. p. 62. 9781564740229.