Subject: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 10 Oct 15 - 11:28 PM Every so often I run across one of these two phrases: Bob's your uncle and Bob's a'dyin. Who's Bob? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Big Al Whittle Date: 10 Oct 15 - 11:44 PM yes, and Bob you head going through the tunnel... God! life is strange! will we ever get to the bottom of these mysteries..? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Megan L Date: 11 Oct 15 - 02:43 AM There is no mystery Bob was ma uncle Bod was over six foot and a miner in the pick and shovel days so he had to do a lot of booing in the tunnels Bob is died so at one point we said Bobs a dying :) |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,HiLo Date: 11 Oct 15 - 02:59 AM He's your fathers brother. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST Date: 11 Oct 15 - 04:03 AM I know who Bob is, because I want to be Bobbys Girl. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: The Sandman Date: 11 Oct 15 - 04:07 AM and Bob a job,a shilling for a job, but why was a shilling called a bob? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Doug Chadwick Date: 11 Oct 15 - 04:32 AM A shilling was the decimal part of a ten bob note. It was called a bob because shilling didn't rhyme with job. ;-) DC |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Will Fly Date: 11 Oct 15 - 05:28 AM In 1887, British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil appointed his nephew Arthur James Balfour as Minister for Ireland. The phrase 'Bob's your uncle' was coined when Arthur referred to the Prime Minister as 'Uncle Bob'. Apparently, it's very simple to become a minister when Bob's your uncle! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Bonzo3legs Date: 11 Oct 15 - 05:42 AM Bob |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 11 Oct 15 - 06:00 AM When we were little lads oop north, going to have a bob meant going for a poo. Sorry to lower the tone. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: MGM·Lion Date: 11 Oct 15 - 06:14 AM "called a bob because shilling didn't rhyme with job." .,,. I have always thought it would be more seemly to call it "a shilling-for-the-willing day". .,,. "going to have a bob meant going for a poo" Did you call it that because you regarded a poo as equivalent to 5 pees, Steve? ≈M≈ |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 11 Oct 15 - 06:47 AM I'm a bit older than that, sadly. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: The Sandman Date: 11 Oct 15 - 07:13 AM A shilling was the decimal part of a ten bob note. It was called a bob because shilling didn't rhyme with job." that sounds like a load of bobpoo. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 11 Oct 15 - 09:40 AM In the US, Uncle Bob's is a provider of rental storage units for people with too much stuff. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: gnu Date: 11 Oct 15 - 10:12 AM Glad I saw this. I forgot to call Bob. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 11 Oct 15 - 10:20 AM "Bob's a dying" is a new one to me. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 11 Oct 15 - 11:52 AM I suspect that Will is on the right track but let's keep it going. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,# Date: 11 Oct 15 - 12:14 PM The guy I'm thinking about was named Bob Raann. He was the subject of a song that most of us will recall from our pasts. Bob Raann, for your listening pleasure. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Rapparee Date: 11 Oct 15 - 12:35 PM Bob was my uncle, a WW2 vet and a firefighter. Bob was also one of my best friends, he served as a medic in VN and died of stomach cancer brought on by smoking. Then there was Plumb Bob, who tried to keep up straight, and the one we called Bobber who we tied to a fishing line, and of course, Bobert. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 11 Oct 15 - 03:09 PM There was Bob the Builder who gave Obama his catchphrase "yes we can" |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,# Date: 11 Oct 15 - 03:24 PM http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bobs-your-uncle.html |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 11 Oct 15 - 03:58 PM In Blackadder, Kate is short for Bob. You really had to see it. Blackadder: What's your name, boy? Kate: Kate. Blackadder: That's an odd name for a boy... Kate: Erm...short for Bob. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Ebbie Date: 11 Oct 15 - 06:28 PM Interesting. In our music group, we always played 'Uncle Bob's tune' for the last of the evening, because George always said that his uncle played it last. Now, I am wondering. Was George pulling our leg(s)? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: JennieG Date: 11 Oct 15 - 09:02 PM Bob was Himself's late uncle, so I could truly say "Bob's your uncle!" |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Gurney Date: 11 Oct 15 - 09:08 PM In my circle, "Bob's your Uncle!" was usually followed by "And Fanny's your Aunt!" No idea why, unless P.M.Gascoyn-Cecil was married to a Frances. A theory that I've just thought of for the etymology of the bob/shilling is that a shilling may have been the coin that you fed into the gas-meter. A gascoin. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 11 Oct 15 - 09:14 PM There was Cumberland Bob, father of Charlie Lampshire, who was the dad of one of my childhood friends. Cumberland Bob was one of the finest drystone wallers who ever drew breath. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Gurney Date: 11 Oct 15 - 09:37 PM Yeah! The theory that I just thought of above seems to me as likely as calling early London policemen 'Bobbys/Bobbies' or Peelers' just because they were organised by Sir Robert Peel. And in the Boer war, General Roberts was known as 'Bobs,' as in the chorus of 'The Baby's Name.' |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 11 Oct 15 - 10:00 PM OK, Gurney, how's it go? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Rapparee Date: 11 Oct 15 - 10:54 PM What!? A request for lyrics below the line??? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 11 Oct 15 - 11:39 PM If it bothers you, consider it poetry. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Joe Offer Date: 12 Oct 15 - 03:46 AM Bob's my dad, age 95. I confess I've sometimes made fun of his plain-Jane name, but he takes it pretty well. In my mind, anybody named Bob, must be a good guy. I knew a woman named Bob years ago, and she was Ultimately Sexy....but that's another story. -Joe- |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Jim Carroll Date: 12 Oct 15 - 06:41 AM From The Penguin Dictioary of English Idioms (1986) And Bob's your uncle! - now you have what you want. When the young Balfour was given a ministerial post by his uncle, Lord Robert Salisbury, the Prime Minister, members of the opposition said 'Bob's your uncle', meaning that with such an uncle he could have whatever he wanted. Jim Carroll |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: frogprince Date: 12 Oct 15 - 10:50 AM Joe's dad Bob is just a kid of 95; my wife's dad Bob is 97. He still has most of his marbles, but in the last year or so a few of them slip in and out of the bag. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 12 Oct 15 - 11:37 AM You seem to have seen the movie "Hook." |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Gurney Date: 12 Oct 15 - 05:44 PM Ebarnacle, it was sung by Cosmotheka in England, and recordings are available. The chorus that I sang was slightly different because I got it from my Dad. 'The baby's name is Kitchener Gatacre Methuen Crondell White, Kronje Kruger Powell Majuba (somebody)Warren Colinza Buller Capetown Mafaking French Kimberly Ladysmith Bobs, Union Jack, fighting Mac, Luddite Pretoria Blobbs!' Blobbs being the baby's surname. No-one joins in the chorus, though. It is all about a patriotic christening at the height of the Boer War. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Gurney Date: 12 Oct 15 - 09:04 PM Make that Lyddite, not Luddite. A whole different meaning! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,DTM Date: 12 Oct 15 - 09:37 PM "It black over Bob's mother's." Said by a work colleague from the Manchester area whenever black clouds were approaching. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,DTM Date: 12 Oct 15 - 09:39 PM And Oor Wullie often says "Help ma Boab" |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,# Date: 12 Oct 15 - 09:52 PM ' And Oor Wullie often says "Help ma Boab" ' Wasn't that Rhonda? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Mooh Date: 13 Oct 15 - 11:58 AM Was IS my uncle. He was also my Dad. No, wait, that doesn't sound right. Peace, Mooh. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST Date: 13 Oct 15 - 12:36 PM It's a guy with no arms and no legs in a swimming pool |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,Bizibod Date: 13 Oct 15 - 04:58 PM If your Bob don't gi' ahr Bob That bob as your Bob owes ahr Bob, Ahr Bob'll gi' your Bob a bob in the eye ! No idea where that comes from- I just recalled it! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: GUEST,Triplane Date: 13 Oct 15 - 06:15 PM These days " Bob could be your Aunty Remined me of Chic Murray |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 13 Oct 15 - 08:18 PM "It's a guy with no arms and no legs in a swimming pool" Nah, you're confused. You're thinking of the man with no arms and no legs who swam the Channel -- Clever Dick! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 14 Oct 15 - 09:15 AM Help me, Bob, I'm Bully on the alley. |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 14 Oct 15 - 09:56 AM Who was that bloke who kept a ten-bob note up his nose? |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: Steve Shaw Date: 14 Oct 15 - 10:01 AM Ah, mean Mr Mustard! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: saulgoldie Date: 15 Oct 15 - 08:06 AM J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, founder and honored leader of the Church of the Sub-Genius. Praise be unto Him! Saul |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: BobChiswick Date: 15 Oct 15 - 04:06 PM I have a claim here! |
Subject: RE: BS: Who's Bob? From: EBarnacle Date: 17 Oct 15 - 11:11 AM Just to make 50! |