Never ever heard that one. ^
@bclintonk #291: The Yale linguistics site I linked earlier on “needs washed” gives a citation to Murray and Simon (2002) , who “describe the rough boundaries as Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, and Central Indiana. Pockets of speakers may exist in places as far-spread as Kentucky and Illinois. This construction is also attested in Scots English, which might be its historical source.” The map on the Yale site shows IL, IN, TN, LA, and FL, plus an isolated spot in ID, as well as OH, PA, and NY, and reaching into Canada at one spot.
The possible attribution to Scots English is interesting, particularly given that the “epicenter” of the usage is said to be Pittsburgh. I know that there was a wave of immigration of Irish Protestants to Pittsburgh. Their families may have moved into Ireland from Scotland earlier (that happened historically).
I heard this form when I was growing up in Ohio, although it always grated on me. Additionally, I recall a short high-school grammar lesson devoted specifically to obliterating this usage. So apparently there was enough use of it that the teacher felt that it needed to be addressed generally (by which, of course, I mean that it needed addressed). 
I know! I have never heard it outside of my family. Yet the assumption that everyone has an uncle Bob is easy. We are native NYC.
@oldbrookie, I use “Bob’s your uncle” at the end of a string of instructions: “to do a backdoor Roth, deposit after tax money equal to the lesser of $5500 or your earned income in a traditional IRA, let it sit for a day or two, transfer it to a Roth IRA account, file a form 8606, and Bob’s your uncle.”
What’s it supposed to mean?
I found a post of mine from 11-15-2013:
Wikipedia says
My real first name is not uncommon, but it’s often screwed up when I give it in fast food lines. So, when they ask my name, I say Bob, figuring that’s hard to screw up.
@aih, it is really most likely that the interaction between and me and my service station person would be somewhere between the two.
“go to a garage and I say (feigns an exaggerated Southern drawl): “How you doing? Boy, hot enough for you? I tell you, this time of year last year, we weren’t suffering like this, were we? I declare, this air conditioner feels good. You from around here? What’s your family name? I think I know her! How old is this dog? That’s an old-looking dog! Eighteen? That’s the oldest dog I’ve ever seen in my life!” And eventually you tack into why you’ve come.”
While I’m not averse to some friendly small talk, I think it is most respectful to a hardworking garage owner trying to earn a living to state my business pleasantly and expediently, clarify any deliverables, and let him be so he can do his job, instead of pretending that I’m so special he should be vitally interested in my dog or my family or anything else. While I’m wasting his time blabbing about my dog, he could be servicing more cars and earning his living.
There was a great quote from Miss Manners to this effect that I remember reading years ago; I’ll try to find it.
PG, the person in question is “blabbing” about the mechanic’s dog, not his/her own.
@oldbrookie “Bob’s your uncle” is from the Disney version of Mary Poppins:
http://movie-sounds.org/old-movie-samples/mary-poppins/and-quick-as-you-can-say-bobs-your-uncle
Don’t ask me how I know this other than I watched that movie a LOT when the girls were little. They really dug Mary Poppins.
I’m familiar with the usage of “bob’s your uncle” described by the wikipedia entry, but I think I’ve only ever heard it used in the UK.
Regarding mechanics, our lawnmowers have been serviced for 20 years by a man who has his own local business. He is hilariously taciturn. Honestly, it is possible to have an entire conversation with him about what’s wrong with the mower and he will never utter more than 2 words at a time. As in, I suggest that we thought maybe it was the X, and he’ll say “Doubt it.” Wouldn’t want to waste that “I”! 
(This really happened recently.)
He’s a Maine classic. In the summer he’s “up at camp” most of the week.
I get a kick out of the fact that his last name is Irish. Definitely does NOT have the gift of the gab!
In a prior job I traveled to a number of my company’s remote facilities to conduct some legal/HR training. It was a 4 hour class that involved a lot of interaction, discussion and role playing. We had a great class in Athens, GA with great participation and conversation, more subdued but still good interaction in far north Maine, and almost dead silence north of Duluth, MN. That group was SO reserved! They didn’t act bored- they just wouldn’t talk! I would have expected that more from the Maine/Canada group.
That’s funny, MOWC. I used to travel around teaching software classes. The nicest group I had, by a long shot, was in Montreal. Edmonton was the worst.
Agreed.
Going back to “good ol’ boy,” I agree with what somebody (bmclintonk?) wrote earlier about how it’s used in the South, and how it’s something different from “old boys club.” I think, like “bless your heart,” it can mean something different depending on the context in which it’s used (and who is using it). It can be pejorative, meaning something like “redneck” or “hick,” and it can be positive, meaning essentially the same as “salt of the earth.” (“Redneck” itself is not necessarily pejorative, depending on who is using it.)
And back to “bless your heart” for a second. There is at least one entirely positive and non-condescending use of it–you might say it to somebody who has done something kind for you, such as bringing you food when you’re sick. As in, “Bless your heart! You didn’t have to do that.”
It also occurred to me that when it’s used to describe a person who’s not present, who is kind of pathetic, it’s not really an expression of empathy–it’s really an expression of pity, which I think is a little different.
I agree with @Hunt , I get “Bless your heart” all the time for doing something nice. “You brought me a cold diet Dr Pepper! Bless your heart!”
@Hunt you are right about good ole boy. In the south is not automatically Ole Boys Network kind of thing, more a down to earth, country boy. Of course to me redneck is not always negative, just slightly down from a good ole boy. Professionals are often good ole boys in the positive sense, rednecks are little lower socially. Either way, the times my car has broken down, once in the middle of night, it was guys that fit the good ole boy/redneck description that stopped to help.
Now I have also used redneck to describe the sexist, bigotted guys that the press seems to love to interview after a crisis (like Emmanuel shooting) that makes southerners look backwards and ignorant.
Again “bless your heart” is usually more positive when said directly to someone (at least in my usage.).
Other thing @Hunt touched on that I’m guessing is same all over. It is one thing for me to call my cousin, or whoever, a redneck, not for someone from elsewhere… like your family can allude to Aunt Polly as a crazy fool, but not someone outside the family.
Has anyone mentioned “that dog won’t hunt” as in that argument or excuse doesn’t make any sense.
@scmom12 , I’ve heard that one as well as “I don’t have a dog in that hunt” (which seems to mean about the same as “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”)
@IxnayBob and @MotherOfDragons your responses have exceeded my wildest expectations. Wikipedia? I feel validated. Mary Poppins? 5 star primary source! Thank you both!