“Bob is your uncle” is a British saying used to emphasize how easy something is to do. Its origin is unclear, but theories suggest it may refer to 19th-century Prime Minister Robert Cecil or military commander Frederick Roberts. It may also have come from earlier idiomatic expressions containing the word “bob”.
“Bob is your uncle” is a saying that originated in England and is in use throughout the former British Commonwealth countries, including Canada. The phrase means “here you go” or “as simple as that”. It is typically used to emphasize how easy something is to do. For example, when asked how to change a light bulb, someone might answer, “Unscrew the old bulb, screw in the new one, and Bob is your uncle.” The origin of this phrase is unclear.
One theory of the beginnings of this phrase rests on the perceived political nepotism of 19th-century English Prime Minister Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury. He appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour to a number of government posts for which others were considered better qualified. The theory is that an irreverent view emerged in the popular culture of the time that having Robert Cecil – Bob – as an uncle was a guarantee of success. One problem with this theory is that the phrase “Bob’s your uncle” is not known to have appeared in print until the 19th, even though political satire and commentary have long been a staple of English publishing.
Another theory proposes that “Bob is your uncle” refers to the British military commander Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts. Roberts was one of the most successful military leaders of the second half of the 19th century in Asia and Africa. He was well liked by his troops, who nicknamed their commander “Uncle Bobs”. According to this view, the phrase developed among the rank and file of Roberts’ army to boost morale and to imply that all would go well and all endeavors would succeed under his command. When the soldiers completed their tours of duty and returned home, the expression would travel with them to all parts of the British Empire.
It has also been suggested that the phrase may have come from earlier idiomatic expressions such as the 18th century English slang “all is bob”, meaning all is well or as it should be. There are a number of English sayings containing the word “bob” that precede the common usage of “Bob is your uncle”. Bob was also commonly used as a generic name in examples or in reference to a person whose name was unknown. Given the fluid state of popular culture, the dozens of different English dialects, and the shifting meaning of idioms, it’s unlikely that the phrase could ever be directly attributable to a single person or group.
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