I heard this phrase used the other day, and could only infer from the context that it meant something along the lines of Voila! or "there you go" or something similar.

Where does it come from? what does it really mean?

I don't know the origin, but I've always understood it to mean not just "There you go!" but also "And everything's great!"

Brown the roast on all sides, put it in a 350 degree oven for two hours, and Bob's your uncle!

I did a few minutes googling but the two most quoted origins both seem very unlikely to me.

The idea that it could have originated in the promotion of Arthur Balfour by his Umcle, the Prime Minister Robert Cecil seems very unlikely given that the promotion was in 1887 but the OED has no cite prior to 1937.

The other theory - that it is somehow related to the phrase "all is bob" which it is claimed meant evrything was OK - is even further off datewise and seems a tenuous link at best.

I haven't found any other suggestions but it has the sound of a catchphrase to me and I'm wondering if any of the old music hall comedians used it.

Yes, I'd heard the Balfour/Cecil nepotism story, as well, and also that it seemed unlikely. Bob's suggestion of a catchphrase certainly seems likely to me, as well.

quote:

given that the promotion was in 1887 but the OED has no cite prior to 1937.

Just remember, we've found that the OED hasn't had the earliest sites a number of times. Political football comes to mind.

Bob, you should post a few of your bob limericks. They were good!

I've heard it used like"

. . . and quicker than you can say "Bob's yer uncle . . ."

Bob's your uncle" I have heard and it means something like "that's it" or "sorted out".

As in, "...so you just change the 5 amp fuse for a ten amp and Bob's your uncle..." - meaning the problem is now solved.

"How's your father", on the other hand, has a quite different meaning. "So he had a bit of how's your father" would generally be understood to mean that the person under discussion had had sex - probably illicit sex.

I love the expression "Bob's your uncle." It always gets a laugh (from us) on all of our Brit-coms, as well as from the laugh tracks! It seems to mean all of the things described and more.

But I've never heard of "how's your father's" meaning someone was having illicit sex. Do we need to avoid inquiring about the health of our British friends' male parents? Does "How's your dad" or "How's your mother's husband" carry the same innuendo?

Thoroughly Puzzled Wordmatic

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Does "How's your dad" or "How's your mother's husband" carry the same innuendo?

No.

How did "how's your father" come to mean "having illicit sex?"

I have no idea if it's true, but this explanation ought to be.

Actually, I suspect the second explanation in the Urban Dictionary is, for once, more likely.

Thanks for that, Arnie. The UD explanation helps this idiom to make more sense.

But seriously, If I were to say to a British friend whose father I had not seen in years, "How's your father?" would my question be considered one of polite consideration, or a horrible social gaffe? Or is it OK to use in a general social context? Do you always have to begin with "a bit of" for the rest to mean "messing around?" Would a straight-forward "How's your father" always be understood to mean that I am asking about your father's wellbeing?

Maybe just to be safe, the question should always be "How's your father doing these days?"


Wordmatic

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But seriously, If I were to say to a British friend whose father I had not seen in years, "How's your father?" would my question be considered one of polite consideration, or a horrible social gaffe?

It would be perfectly OK. And your last suggested phrase would be even better.

The expression is only risqué when it is a noun phrase and thus preceded by some kind of article or quantity: a bit of; some; ample supplies of, etc.

I've sure never heard it. Is it strictly a British phrase?

If I had a friend whose family I hadn't heard about, I would hesitate to inquire about the wellbeing of a specific family, in the case where something had gone wrong, the person probably wouldn't want to talk about it.

I would consider "how's the(your) family" to be more generally appropriate.

G'day wordcrafters,
Bob's your uncle.
and the related;
Robert's yer muvver's bruvver!
are quite common downunder.
The reference is to nepotism at the highest levels of government which assures success.
If Bob's your uncle then you can pretty much do what you want and know that you will be protected and the job will be fixed if you stuff it up anyway. It fits in perfectly with the Aussie, 'She'll be right on the night' attitude.
I believe that the phrase was imported from the Old Dart but it was taken up by my generation after the nepotistic reign of Prime Minister Sir (tug the forelock to who did but see Her passing by) Robert (Pig Iron Bob) Menzies.

Robert's yer muvver's bruvver means that you have finished work and that the task is completed.

.,,

Hi:
I never heard that expression, but I can understand it.
What I don't get at all is the "a bit of how's your father", specially after checking the link. Funny, but the poor father would end up a hunchback.

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What I don't get at all is the "a bit of how's your father"

I confess I don't get a lot of it these days

And welcome to our gathering; I am sure you'll like it here.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard English:
[QUOTE]What I don't get at all is the "a bit of how's your father"

I confess I don't get a lot of it these days
QUOTE]

Alexa, welcome!

quote:

What I don't get at all is the "a bit of how's your father", specially after checking the link.

That page I linked to is meant to be a joke. The second link I gave (which may not have worked in your browser) to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=How%27s+your+father has a much more believeable, if less amusing, reason.

quote:

Originally posted by Alexa Cohen:
Hi:
I never heard that expression, but I can understand it.
What I don't get at all is the "a bit of how's your father", specially after checking the link. Funny, but the poor father would end up a hunchback.

G'day mate,
Lovely to see another southerner here.
the actual phrase is more like, '...a bit of, 'How's your father?"'

This is a tongue in cheek warning in the middle of a potentially lurid conversation.
A bloke is taking to his girl and asking for a bit of crumpet or nookie and she interrupts him to ask him, How's your father? as a warning that there is someone listening to their conversation and he should be more discrete and the phrase has taken a life of it's own.

Again this is all my own opinion and I do not believe most attributions of idioms anyway.

I didn't check the link but I don't get how the father could be hunchbacked. The daughter on the other hand appears to be willing to hunch more than her back.

.,,

quote:

That page I linked to is meant to be a joke. The second link I gave (which may not have worked in your browser) to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=How%27s+your+father has a much more believeable, if less amusing, reason.

Thank you. It's nice to be welcome.
You're right, the second link didn't work. And yes, I noticed the first one was a joke!
Though I think that crouching under some XVIIth century woman's skirts could be a nice pastime for several men... however, they would be doing something rather different than protecting the woman's virginity.

quote:

Originally posted by .,,:
G'day mate,
Lovely to see another southerner here.
the actual phrase is more like, '...a bit of, 'How's your father?"'

This is a tongue in cheek warning in the middle of a potentially lurid conversation.

Again this is all my own opinion and I do not believe most attributions of idioms anyway.

I didn't check the link but I don't get how the father could be hunchbacked. The daughter on the other hand appears to be willing to hunch more than her back.

.,,

Hello:
I'm a Southerner OK, but the North has moved down on us.
It's awfully cold and it's summer here.

We say something like this as a warning too. But the phrase is "There are Moors at the coast". When the indiscreet person leaves, the phrase would be "There are no Moors at the coast now".
Check the link and you'll know what I meant.

Welcome both .,, and Alexa! We do enjoy newbies, though I know I will have trouble with your name, .,,.

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We say something like this as a warning too. But the phrase is "There are Moors at the coast". When the indiscreet person leaves, the phrase would be "There are no Moors at the coast now".

I understand that kids here in the states have a similar warning system. In true txt spk they will say "pos", "mos" or "dos" for "parent over shoulder", "mother over shoulder" or "dad over shoulder".

Of course, like I'm always pointing out at work, once someone like me actually knows about teen slang, it's probably out-moded.