Meanings
alternative Bob is your uncle
- CommonwealthIrelandUKidiomaticNo problem, the solution is simple, there you have it, it's that easy, you have what you want, all will be well: indicates a desirable conclusion has been reached with ease.
Insert the plug, press the switch, and Bob's your uncle.
5 more examples
You want to go to the stadium? Go straight on until you reach the park, take the first left and Bob's your uncle!
And you're not going to give me that stuff about just shoving over the lever and bob's your uncle. You forget the times the fellow gets caught and has to be kicked off the edge of the trap hole.
1954, Brendan Behan, The Quare Fellow, act 3; republished in Cóilín Owens, Joan Newlon Radner, editors, Irish Drama, 1900–1980, 1990, page 591Click the Import Contacts button and—Bob's your uncle (that's "Tada!" for my readers)—you should see a confirmation that all went according to plan, and your contacts have been imported into your Gmail address book.
2007, Preston Gralla, Big Book of Windows Hacks, O'Reilly Media, page 314Simply type in a description of your item and Bob's your uncle: someone, somewhere in the eBay virtual universe will be selling something similar.
2008, Julian Knight, Wills, Probate, & Inheritance Tax For Dummies, UK, unnumbered pageAll you need to do is learn to make these little loops and Bob's your uncle, you're a real live knitter.
2011, Lauren O'Farrel, Stitch London: 20 Kooky Ways to Knit the City and More, page 112Synonyms: Bob's your father's brother, Bob's your mother's brother, Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, hey presto, job's a good 'un, Robert's your father's brother, Robert's your mother's brother, Robert's your uncle
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseNo problem, the solution is simple, there you have it, it's that easy, you have what you want, all will be well: indicates a desirable conclusion has been reached with ease.
Origin
Unknown. Several unsupported theories exist about its origin. A common explanation, involving Arthur Balfour gaining a promotion through the supposed intercession of his uncle, Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, is doubted because the expression did not appear in print until 1924.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 就這樣唄 /就这样呗
- 就這樣唄 /就这样呗 (jiù zhèyàng bei)desirable conclusion is reached
Dutch klaar is Kees
- klaar is Keesdesirable conclusion is reached
Finnish se on siinä
- se on siinädesirable conclusion is reached
French le tour est joué, et voilà le travail
- le tour est jouédesirable conclusion is reached
- et voilà le travaildesirable conclusion is reached
- c'est parti mon kikidesirable conclusion is reached
German und schon haben wir's
- und schon haben wir'sdesirable conclusion is reached
Hungarian ennyi (az egész), már meg is vagy
- ennyi (az egész)desirable conclusion is reached
- már meg is vagydesirable conclusion is reached
- már ott is vagydesirable conclusion is reached
Indonesian Bob adalah pamanmu
- Bob adalah pamanmudesirable conclusion is reached
Portuguese pronto, prontinho
- prontodesirable conclusion is reached
- prontinhodesirable conclusion is reached
- está no papodesirable conclusion is reached
- não tem errodesirable conclusion is reached
- é batatadesirable conclusion is reached
Russian вуаля́
- вуаля́ (vualjá)desirable conclusion is reached
Spanish vualá, listoco
- vualádesirable conclusion is reached
- listocodesirable conclusion is reached
- ya estádesirable conclusion is reached
Welsh dyna ti, dyna chi
- dyna tidesirable conclusion is reached
- dyna chidesirable conclusion is reached
- dyna nidesirable conclusion is reached
Cite this entry
Bob's your uncle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bob's%20your%20uncle
“Bob's your uncle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bob's%20your%20uncle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bob's your uncle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bob's%20your%20uncle.
Source: Bob's your uncle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.