It's interesting to me to have so many different kinds of english spoken on this NG. Now I know what "plonk" means.
What is the derivation of "...and Bob's your Uncle"? I know it means "and then you're done", but who is Bob and why is he my uncle?
In Panama, "listo y frito" (cleaned and fried) is the same as "then it's done". However, since the Panamanians are a fishing people, it's easy to see the derivation of the expression, where as Uncle Bob is not so clear.
Jerry 47
I remember a Chris Wren cartoon in Air International with a pilot in a Spit. There's an He 111 going down in flames behind and the legend was "Bob's Your Heinkel!" Bit of a mystery until I caught Basil Fawlty using the original once.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
The one slogan that always puzzled me was "Remember Pearl Harbor!".
No, not the one from post December 7, 1941.
This bold proclimation appeared painted on the sidewalk of a Midwestern city (Omaha, IIRC), circa 1937, making the local paper.
Considering the number of Midwesterners in the USN maybe it had something to do with a tryst while he was in Pearl?
Tom
Wow, that's remarkable!
The Keeper (of too much crap)
Jeez Tom, you *are* old... and just what were you doing in the mid-west in '37 anyway? :)
RobG
Eh? So what you're saying is, Uncle Bob lusts for fritos? ;)
I did some research on unusual and unexplained events for a local radio station back in the late 70s. That's the one that always stuck with me.
Tom
We have a variation on this locally here in South Wales instead of "Bob's your Uncle" its "Bob's your Aunties live-in lover" now work that one out.
All the best Ant
This incident is recounted in Frank Edwards' book, "Strange World" (Ace-Star Books/New York/1964):
"In Owensville, Indiana, the citizens were puzzled one winter morning to find a cryptic message painted in huge letters on the sidewalk in front of the public grade school. The message read simply:
'Remember Pearl Harbor!'
People commented on the message. But they never knew who put it there -- or why. It was really nothing to get excited about at the time it occurred; for the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor never took place until two years later...to the day."
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