Here are some more of those historical characters whose names have been immortalised - though their actions are long forgotten.Bob (your uncle)
In a move of unashamed nepotism, British prime minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as Minister for Ireland in 1887. Balfour eventually followed in “Uncle Bob's” footsteps and became Prime Minister himself. So the phrase "Bob's your uncle" was coined to mean: "success is in the bag".
The Real McCoy
There are several theories, but my favourite centres around Kid McCoy, a US boxing champion in the early 20th century. A drunk challenged McCoy to prove that the boxer was, in fact, who he said he was and not one of the lesser boxers trading under the same name at the time. After a near knockout punch, the drunk concluded that, yep, this was in fact "the real McCoy".
Proper Charlie
Not, as you may think, a reference to Charlie Chaplin (though this would make sense) but to Charlie Smirke (who?). This particular Charlie, though a successful English jockey in the 1930s-50s, was immortalised simply because his surname happened to rhyme with "berk" (an English insult - see more on this and Cockney rhyming slang later). Charlie Smirke entered into Cockney rhyming slang lore as berk, and from them on "a proper Charlie" was synonymous with "a right berk".
Flaming Nora
Sorry to disappoint, but despite heralding this lady in the title of the blog I can’t actually find anything on her apart from the fact that she was also known as “ruddy Nora”. Presumably being set on fire would turn anyone a little ruddy.
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