Where did the saying "Bob's your uncle" come from?

Question

Where did the saying "Bob's your uncle" come from?

Answer 1

It's old British meaning the job is done and there is nothing left to say or do.  The phrase has outlived its original context.

Answer 2

Meaning

Used to describe the means of obtaining a successful result. For example, 'left over right; right over left, and bob's your uncle - a reef knot'.

Origin

Eric Partridge lists it in his Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English , 1937. He gives it the meaning 'all will be well', which is not quite how it is used now. Partridge states it as dating from circa 1890, although he presents no evidence for that. Also he suggests that it may be derived from the phrase 'all is bob', which meant 'all is well'.

Another interpretation is that it derives from the supposed nepotism of Lord Salisbury. Piers Brendon, in Eminent Edwardians, 1979, writes:

"... in 1887, Balfour was unexpectedly promoted to the vital front line post of Chief Secretary for Ireland by his uncle Robert, Lord Salisbury."

Various authors have surmised that having an uncle Bob who was Prime Minister became synonymous with having a passport to an easy life.

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