a bit of a heath robinson

[magstar]

where does the phrase "a bit of a heath robinson" come from
it means a bit rough and ready
thanks

[raysparx1]

It is named after this man, he had some real wacky ideas, some were so funny

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/ robinson_william_heath.shtml

[raysparx1]

Here is one of his for you.

http://wsgfl2.westsussex.gov.uk/aplaws/dt/proj ects/webquests/inventors/images/heath2.gif

[jno]

it's often not rough and ready, more the opposite: insanely complex ways of doing simple things. Americans call them Rube Goldberg devices: he was an American cartoonist who specialised in the same sort of thing.

Heath Robinson was also a superb illustrator of books, fairy stories and suchlike last century; he had two brothers who did the same thing. Here's a not very clear example:
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/illustratio ns/littlemermaid/images/whrobinmermaid1.jpg