Out of the Loop

[Peter A. McGraw]

I have to admit total ignorance of the expression "Bob's your uncle," what
it means or what context it's used in.  Could someone enlighten me and
others who (I hope) are similarly benighted?

Peter Mc.

--On Thu, Jul 6, 2000 4:27 PM +0100 Lynne Murphy <lynnem at COGS.SUSX.AC.UK>
wrote:

>> On another age-related note, my mother (>55) has discovered that no
>> one she works with  (mostly <45 on Long Island) knows "Bob's your
>> uncle." She said in passing to a co-worker and that person said, with
>> great surprise, "How'd you know?" Turns out this person did have an
>> Uncle Bob and somehow "Bob's your uncle" made some kind of sense in
>> that context as well.
>>
>> Erin McKean
>> editor at verbatimmag.com
>
> 'Bob's your uncle' is still pretty common on this side of the pond, I
> think. (Although probably not particularly 'hip'.)  And so long as we're
> kind-of discussing exclamations, I was very grateful for the wordspy info
> on 'Gordon Bennett' the other day.  Seems you can't swing a dead cat
> around here without hearing 'Gordon Bennett!'
>
> Lynne



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                               Peter A. McGraw
                   Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
                            pmcgraw at linfield.edu