job's a good 'un

English

Alternative forms

• job's a good'un
• job's a goodun
• the job's a good 'un

Etymology

Attested in 1968, but probably popularised by footballer Robbie Fowler who, after scoring four goals in a Premier League match against Middlesbrough on 14 December 1996, revealed a T-shirt with the phrase written on it in marker pen. He explained to the press that it was Happy Mondays percussionist Bez's catchphrase in his segment "Science with Bez" on BBC Two's The Sunday Show (1995–97).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdʒɒbz ə ˈɡʊd(ə)n/

Phrase

job's a good 'un

1. (British, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) Expresses satisfaction that a task has been or will be carried out successfully, often suggesting that the task is simple, or ironically implying that it has been completed in a cursory or slapdash manner.
   • 1968, Robert Roberts, Imprisoned Tongues, Manchester University Press, page 210:

     We've cracked it Ginge! Showed out for a cock and hen and drew for a flag. There’s one born every minute. Let this one go for now and the job’s a good un. Hello, there’s a jam role there. And diamonds is a roles best friend. They love em! See me cop off this.

   • 1975 August, Michael Foley, “The Wrassler: A Bit of Strange”, in Fortnight, number 109, →JSTOR, page 14:

     ‘The job’s a good ’un. Ahm getting a word put in and it’ll all be fixed up.’

   • 1998 October 16, "Darren Tackle" [Jim White], “Brought to book by the Fraud squad”, The Guardian, page 16:

     ‘Well, if that's what you want,’ he says, sounding a touch ratty, ‘I’ll stop everything else and you can have the entire A350 budget to turn up at the bookshop tomorrow.’ ‘Job's a good ’un,’ I tell him. ‘Oh, and one other thing. Cash, please.’

   • 2008, Jeremy Clarkson, “The problem is ... it's out of this world”, in The Sunday Times, page 20:

     A traffic jam made up of normal cars will be twice as long as one made up of these Japanese “kei” cars. And a kei jam will clear more quickly, because in a car the size of a bacterium you don’t have to drive round and round the block looking for somewhere to park. You just pop it in your pocket and the job’s a good ’un.

   • 2018, Harry Hill, Matt Millz Stands Up!, Faber & Faber:

     ‘What do you need new stuff for? Just do the stuff you did on The T Factor – that had them rolling in the aisles! Bish bash bosh! Job’s a goodun’! You get paid! And more importantly so do I!’ said Dickie with a smirk.

Synonyms

• Bob's your uncle