What does Uncle mean in British slang?

British Dictionary definitions for uncle

uncle. / (ˈʌŋkəl) / noun. a brother of one's father or mother. the husband of one's aunt.

What does uncle mean in slang?

noun. (southern US and parts of UK, colloquial) A close male friend of the parents of a family. noun. (southern US, slang, archaic) An older male African-American person.

Why do people say uncle?

One theory is that it derives from a phrase uttered by youngsters in the Roman empire who got into trouble, patrue mi patruissime (“uncle, my best of uncles”). It may also be based on a joke from 19th-century England about a bullied parrot being coaxed to address his owner's uncle.

What is uncle in Old English?

Displaced native Middle English eam, eme (“maternal uncle”) from Old English ēam (“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old English fædera (“paternal uncle”).

What does the British term Bob's your uncle mean?

Definition of and Bob's your uncle

British, informal. —used to say that something is easy to do or use Just complete the form, pay the fee, and Bob's your uncle!

Top 10 British Slang Terms YOU Should Be Using

Why is Fanny your aunt?

Used as a humorous response to the phrase "Bob's your uncle," which is used to emphasize how easily or quickly something can be done. Primarily heard in UK, Australia.

What does happy as Larry mean?

happy as Larry in British English

or as happy as Larry. British, Australian and New Zealand informal. extremely happy.

Where did the term uncle originate?

late 13c., from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus "mother's brother" ("father's brother" was patruus), literally "little grandfather," diminutive of avus "grandfather," from PIE root *awo- "grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father" (source also of Armenian hav "grandfather," Hittite huhhas " ...

Who is called an uncle?

the brother of someone's mother or father, or the husband of someone's aunt or uncle: I have lots of uncles and aunts. We invited my Uncle Steve over.

Where did the word uncle derive from?

Aunt and uncle

The word uncle is the male equivalent, referring to the brother of one's parent or the male partner of a parent's sibling (your dad's sister's husband, for example). It ultimately comes from the Latin avunculus, meaning “mother's brother.”

When did people start saying uncle?

— is first recorded in print in the US early in the twentieth century. The Oxford English Dictionary's first example is from 1918, but I've found an instance in an advertisement in the Modesto News of California, dated 1912: “This Time it is 'Martie' Graves and Don Johns who made them say 'Uncle.

What is meaning of No Dice?

No, certainly not; also, impossible. For example, Anthony wanted to borrow my new coat, but Mom said no dice, or We tried to rent the church for the wedding, but it's no go for the date you picked, or Jim asked Dad to help pay for the repairs, but Dad said no soap.

Is uncle a uncle?

You will always use “a” before a consonant sound and “an” before a vowel sound, which is why “a uncle” is incorrect while “an uncle” is correct.

What does uncle mean in South Africa?

In South African cultures, elders are greatly respected. Tannie and Oom are the Afrikaans terms for aunt and uncle and are considered to be a respectable term of address for anyone older than you.

What is another word for uncle?

In this page you can discover 24 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for uncle, like: father's brother, mother's brother, avunculus (Latin), aunt, son, brother-in-law, brother, avuncular, grandmother, father and best-friend.

What is your wife's uncle called?

Both meanings commonly used for uncle-in-law are used to define a distinction between someone who is an uncle by marriage (i.e., an in-law) and someone who is an uncle by blood (i.e., a brother of one of your parents).

What's the origin of Bob's your uncle?

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!

What is a sand boy?

1 : a peddler of sand at a seashore resort —used chiefly in the phrase happy as a sandboy. 2 : any of various hopping insects (as a sand flea) found on sandy beaches.

Where did the saying kick the bucket come from?

The term is known to date from at least the 16th century. The more interesting (and probably apochryphal) origin relates to suicides who would stand on a large bucket with noose around the neck and, at the moment of their choosing, would kick away the bucket.

Where did the expression 40 winks come from?

The first use of this expression dates back to 1821, when Dr. William Kitchiner, an optician and telescope inventor used it in his self help guide, The art of invigorating and prolonging life – “A forty winks nap in a horizontal posture, is the best preparative for any extraordinary exertion of either.”

Why do we say oh my giddy aunt?

Giddy Aunts are the keepers of family stories and the tellers of wonderful tales, but what does the phrase "Oh My Giddy Aunt" mean? "Oh My Giddy Aunt!” was a popular English saying early last century, often used to indicate surprise in the days before less genteel expletives became more freely used.

What does Cor mean in British slang?

cor. / (kɔː) / interjection. British slang an exclamation of surprise, amazement, or admiration.

What does the saying giddy aunt mean?

Interjection. my giddy aunt. (Britain, Ireland) An exclamation of astonishment, confusion, despair, etc.: my sainted aunt, my sainted uncle.

What is a uncle in Law?

Definition of uncle-in-law

1 : the husband of one's aunt or uncle. 2 : the uncle of one's spouse.

What does uncle stand for from the movie man from uncle?

The two top Agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.)