Posting by proxy for my roommate, who lacks the intestinal fortitude to post for himself Yes, he's looking over my shoulder..., here's the question from Apt. 403:

What are the origins of the phrase "Yes-sir-ee, Bob!"

I suppose ICLIU, but too many variations in the possible spelling make that almost certainly a losing proposition...

Possibly related to the expression, "Bob's your uncle"? I don't know anything about that one either.

Bob's your uncle comes from a piece of late 19th century nepotism where the Prime Minister, Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour to various government positions.



Bingley

Wow, thanks, Bingley. Mercy, you sure know a lot. I am so
glad you are here.

Great. Now my roommate thinks he deserves a bumper sticker or a t-shirt or something... "I Stumped AWAD"...

Well, don't be too hasty now. It often takes a few days for our monkeys to pound out a reasonable answer that everyone agrees to.

Perhaps a more apposite bumper sticker would be "I went online and all I got was AWAD of crap."

http://lightmind.com/Impermanence/yessiree.html

http://www.wackyadvice.com/bud/iq/2iq05b.htm

I can't find any listings for Yes-sir-ee Bob, but maybe it is related to the bob used to designate English police officers?

I thought it stemmed from USn sources - lines from an old jazz song, or sumptin?

In reply to:

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I thought it stemmed from USn sources - lines from an old jazz song, or sumptin?

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Bob, Bob, Bob-- Bob-Bob-a-ran
(repeat a third higher)
Bob, Bob, Bob -- Bob-Bob-a-ran
(repeat another third higher)
Bob, Bob, Bob -- Bob-Bob-a-ran