2007: Bob's Your Uncle Jun 13, 2020

There are a number of phrases like "I'll be a monkey's uncle" and "Bob's your uncle" that on the surface seem weird—and they are—but at least with the latter example, there is a reason. It is generally understood that the Bob in question was Robert Cecil (of the 19th century) who promoted his nephew AJ Balfour to many key governmental positions. He was underqualified for much of them, and many ascribed it to the fact that "Bob's your uncle", as in "and there you have it".

...

Check out the new video.

Get Merch.

Support on Patreon.com/wordfacts

Previous
Previous

2008: Loan Words into Latin Jun 14, 2020

Next
Next

2006: Desecration and Flutes in Hebrew Jun 12, 2020