Bob's Your Uncle | Do You Actually Know What This Idiom Means? • 7ESL

Contents

“Bob’s your uncle” is a very commonly used term in the English language, usually in spoken conversations and sometimes in written text. But where did this saying come from and what exactly does it mean? Let’s take a look further into this phrase.

Bob’s Your Uncle

“Bob’s Your Uncle” Meaning

The meaning of the phrase ‘Bob’s your uncle’ is a simple one, it is used to confirm that someone is all set and ready to go or that something is completed.

Origin of this idiom

This saying dates back to 1887 and was first used by people to refer to the fact that an act of nepotism had been committed when former British prime minister, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil gave a high profile job to his nephew, who in turn ‘had it made’ and so the phrase ‘Bob’s your uncle’ was coined.

“Bob’s Your Uncle” Examples

You might use the term Bob’s your uncle when you have given an explanation to someone, for example you might say ‘You fit this part in here and then press this button, and Bob’s your uncle, the job is done.’

Example Sentences

Press here and Bob’s your uncle! It’s disappeared.
Just copy the disk, and Bob’s your uncle!
Just tell them you’re a friend of mine and, Bob’s your uncle, you’ll get the job.
To switch the TV on, press the button, and bob’s your uncle.
To switch the oven on, turn the knob, and bob’s your uncle!

Conversation Examples

If you hear the sentence ‘Bob’s your uncle’ in a conversation, it could sound a little bit like some of these examples.

Conversation 1:

Person 1: “I’m not sure how to do this, could you help me please?”
Person 2: “Of course, you just fill in this form and click send and Bob’s your uncle.”

Conversation 2:

Person 1: “How did Amanda get that job?”
Person 2: “She told the boss all about her previous experience and Bob’s your uncle, the job was hers.”

Other Ways to Say “Bob’s Your Uncle”

There are plenty of ways to get across the meaning of Bob’s your uncle without using those exact words. You could say any of the following phrases which would mean the same thing.

There you have it
And that’s that.
Tah-dah
It will be okay
Everything is okey dokey
It will be done

Liam Daniel

At 7ESL, we use advanced AI to help people learn English. Our tools and resources make it easier to speak and write well, supporting learners at every level.