Just done another video for my shop and I used the expression, "Bob's Your Uncle."
Wonder where that came from that expression? Is it specific to the British? Need to look it up when I have a few moments to spare.
Do you use expressions that you have no idea where they came from?
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14 comments:
Here in the south we have lots of expressions that are funny but our pronunciation of words is a bit off every now and then. I thought a Chest of Drawers was a Chester Drawers until I was a teenager.lol A friend says she thought Barbed Wire was Bob Wire.
I have heard it here in the US but not often. it is English and borne of controversy.
I've heard that my entire life. My family haven't had any recent British immigrants for a couple of generations. Seems to me my maternal grandfather used it a lot. He was from Barrie area. Does that help?
I used one just this morning 'Spondoolies' for money, and I wondered where it came from. Weird I should come home and find you've done a post about this subject. 'Uncle' used to be the name for a pawn broker. I wonder if it meant 'Bob' would lend you money instead of you having to pawn something and everything would be OK?
all the time, the south have lots of them
I wonder also, and try and look them up on google. My Mother all way's said "Bob's your Uncle" and I had a brother in law at the time and his name was Bob, so I would say "No he's my b-I-l. She would always laugh.
Patricia
All the time;))) I found a site that purported to explain the derivation of these sayings--but when I asked about one, they were very hoity-toity, and said you can find that one EVERYWHERE!!
I mean, "pardonnez moi"--needless to say, I am not visiting them again...lol
hugs, Julierose
Being British myself it is an expression I know. I have found out though that I do not use these type of expressions much any more because people have no idea what they mean here in the US. However, I was watching something on the tele the other night and I came out with "Blimey, don't you just want to wipe that smile of his fizzog" My husband looked at me and said "Huh?"
The British slang is still in me but it doesn't come out very often these days.
It means 'and there you have it.' It's essentially a way to conclude a statement.
My mother used to say "Quel domage" which I think is French for "What a pity" or "Too bad". I've never heard a French speaker use this phrase so no idea where she got it from.
Yesterday I said "Slept like a log" and wondered why on earth people say such a thing. After all logs don't sleep.
As far as one of your posters said Quelle domage means what a pity and is used a great deal here in Canada. Even by those of us who have French as a second language.
God bless.
We use that quote all the time. Every Christmas when we watch A Christmas Carol with Alister Simms & the house keeper uses that expression after getting a guinea for keeping her mouth shut ...no wait it was a Christmas present. Another one my Welsh Gran used was "My Godfather Dick ..."
Bobs your Uncle is an exclamation used when everything is alright. Hope that helps.
Bob's your uncle" is a way of saying "you're all set" or "you've got it made." It's a catch phrase dating back to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Cecil (a.k.a. Lord Salisbury) decided to appoint a certain Arthur Balfour to the prestigious and sensitive post of Chief Secretary for Ireland.
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