'Yes sirree, Bob; yes, indeed! ' Who is or was Bob? ********************************************************* 08-14-03, 07:13 PM angela-cc To cause to move up and down: bobbed my head in response to the question. Verb not noun. ********************************************************* 08-14-03, 07:26 PM MilesWest PRAISE "BOB"
J.R. "Bob" Dobbs High Epopt Living Slack Master
see: The Church of the SubGenius ********************************************************* 08-15-03, 11:12 AM maiku I don't know who this Bob is, either, but I bet he had a lot of nieces and nephews. Otherwise, how can we account for all those Britons who are always saying to each other (at least in British novels): "And Bob's your uncle!"? ********************************************************* 08-15-03, 12:34 PM methos angela - I have trouble believing that the phrase comes from the verb, but I can't offer another explanation (all that I have found is "origin unknown").
While the origin of "Bob's your uncle" is unknown, it is possible that it's a reference to a British prime minister named Lord Robert Stanley who appointed his own nephew to be chancellor of the exchequer. It's also possible that comes from the phrase "all is bob," meaning all is well. ********************************************************* 08-15-03, 06:11 PM maiku
quote:Originally posted by methos5000: While the origin of "Bob's your uncle" is unknown, it is possible that it's a reference to a British prime minister named Lord Robert Stanley who appointed his own nephew to be chancellor of the exchequer. It's also possible that comes from the phrase "all is bob," meaning all is well.
Well, methos, it certainly is possible, I suppose. Nearly anything you can imagine is possible, except perhaps round squares (but come to think of it, you can't really imagine any of those either, can you?).
I remember a previous disagreement you and I had about some "etymology" you pulled up from the Internet somewhere. I see that what I had to say about that purported "etymology" has in no way dissuaded you from repeating your previous reliance on the Internet instead of on authoritative sources.
The guess that "Bob's your uncle" "comes from" an expression like "All is bob," meaning it's all OK, is also possible, of course. This "etymology" raises the question, though: how did "All is bob" come to mean anything like "It's all right" in the first place? ********************************************************* 08-15-03, 06:52 PM FredPuli In 'Bob's your uncle' the nephew was Arthur Balfour a bookish man, interested in philosophy. The uncle, Robert was to become Lord Salisbury. He was of course known as Bob , perhaps by friends, certainly by disrespectful Londoners ! When the nephew expressed some passing interest in politics, his dear uncle soon had him recommended for a seat as an MP.
Uncle was a career politician, a nobleman, who ended up as Prime Minister ( end of C19).
Throughout Balfour's often disastrous political career he was appointed to posts in government by his uncle in person or as the direct result of his uncle's influence, starting as his uncle's parliamentary secretary. The list is too long to recite in detail but it included being secretary to Ireland ( it got him the nickname 'Bloody Balfour'; a hint that he was not an obvious diplomat, at least!).As his uncle rose so did he.
When Balfour's uncle Bob retired as Prime Minister guess whom he named as his favoured successor ? How did you guess? So Balfour became Prime Minister.
Balfour's one legacy still remembered from his long political career as a beneficiary of nepotism is the Balfour Declaration (1917), after he himself had retired from active politics, concerning the rights of the Jews to have their own homeland.
So Britons say 'Bob's your uncle' whenever they do something easily, without effort or where somebody produces an unexpectedly easy or fortuitous result without any obvious effort. It was if 'Bob' was their uncle too, it was so easily achieved ! Smile ********************************************************* 08-15-03, 07:47 PM maiku Thanks for the history lesson, Fred.
Some of us, of course, knew all of this already. The only word I find I'm not so sure of in your exposition is the so at the beginning of your last paragraph. Granted this history, how does it follow that whenever Britons say "Bob's your uncle," they are alluding to Arthur Balfour? Could be, I suppose. Probable, even. Now prove it. ********************************************************* 08-16-03, 03:03 AM methos Maiku - I may have stated it too strongly in that past discussion (I've forgotten my phrasing in that post, now). In the present discussion, I don't believe I overstated anything. As I said, the origin is unknown. I don't see the harm in mentioning possible origins as long as they are identified as such. I think that my statement that the etymology was unknown followed by two separate possibilities made that quite clear. As far as the proof you ask Fred for, we all know there is none.
I do notice that you have progressed from 'possible' to 'probable.'
Looking back at the earlier discussion, I also clearly identified it as "speculation," and said that the origin wasn't known. ********************************************************* 08-16-03, 07:47 PM FredPuli There is strong circumstantial evidence that Balfour is the origin.The expression is only in print from 1930 but was in current Foreign Office use before. Balfour died in 1930.Certain libellous things are, very wisely, not set in print while the subject is living; but the cause of action dies with them. Printing this of Balfour, even if not naming him in terms, would be one such.That he was the knowing and grateful beneficiary of blatant nepotism every time his uncle became Prime Minister (4 times) was undoubtedly true and " the bigger the truth the bigger the libel" as lawyers cynically observe of litigants and damages! Balfour had been recalled to government posts in WWI and was active in Foreign Office matters through the 20s and made an Earl; some standing indeed to suffer such a 'vile' suggestion !
A related saying is " Lloyd George knew my grandfather" ( sung as "knew my father; father knew ..." in a repetitive song). It was/is for someone modestly explaining how they got a new suit or car or job etc. It is a reference to that Prime Minister, Lloyd George ( WWI)effectively appointing, or threatening to appoint, absolutely anyone who was prepared to pay enough, or whom he knew, to be a peer (a Lord); this was a device to pack the House of Lords with supporters and anyone could get the rank if they fitted these minimal qualifications. Their eldest son and then his eldest would then be lords in turn; so it means a benefit obtained through absolutely no merit of the speaker.
[This message was edited by FredPuli on 08-16-03 at 08:00 PM.] ********************************************************* 08-22-03, 07:57 PM cattywampus There's also a get together/conference/picnic for guys named Bob somewhere in the states every year, but Google never heard of it so I can't say more.
Catty
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