'Dutch' was originally the generic name for both Germans and, as they were formally called, Hollanders. The Anglo-Dutch wars were a very long time ago and we are all friends now, but at this point we can introduce another reason for the English to have held on so long to hostile stereotyping of the Dutch, that is, the link with the UK's 20th century military rivals, the Germans. Examples of these expressions are:ĭutch bargain - a bargain made when one is debilitated by drink - first recorded in 1654.ĭutch defence - a legal defence in which the defendant seeks clemency by deceitfully betraying others - 1749.ĭutch comfort - cold comfort only good because things could have been worse - 1796.ĭutch metal/Dutch gold - a cheap alloy resembling gold - 1825.ĭutch courage - brash bravery induced by drink - 1826.ĭutch treat - no treat as such each person pays for their own expenses - 1887.Īdded to that list is 'double Dutch'. The common strand in all of these disparaging 'Dutch' expressions is that anything Dutch is the opposite of what it ought to be. Following the conflicts the English came to hold the Dutch in very low regard and as a consequence there are numerous English phrases which portray them in an unflattering light, often as skinflints or drunkards. The Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th and 18th centuries were acrimonious even by the usual standards of war. Will you eate of a Pike with a high dutche sauce? Claudius Hollyband referred to this in the French Schoole Maister, 1573: The first of these imports was 'Dutch sauce', which we now call Hollandaise. England imported many commodities from Holland and gave them 'Dutch' names. We don't have anything like as many expressions that include 'French', so why the interest in 'Dutch'? Two reasons: trade and war.īoth England and Holland (which is what most people call The Netherlands), have a vigorous and wide-ranging maritime trading tradition that dates back to the 16th century. There are a host of phrases in English that include the word 'Dutch' that's hardly surprising as The Netherlands is just a few miles across the sea from England. What's the origin of the phrase 'Double Dutch'? Nonsense gibberish - a language one cannot understand. Numbers What's the meaning of the phrase 'Double Dutch'?.
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