Dutch courage

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Dutch courage or liquid courage refers to courage gained from intoxication by alcohol. The term is purported to have its origins in the battles of the seas where the Dutch navy is said to have been feared among all other navies (especially among the later rival, the English navy - later the British navy) because of its courage, and it was rationalised that they must have drunk alcohol before battle to relieve fear.^{[citation needed]}

One other theory of origin is that phrases using Dutch were created because the Netherlands used to be a rival to Britain (especially the Dutch East India Company), and generally these phrases containing "Dutch" are pejorative or implying "spurious" such as "Dutch treat" or "Dutch uncle."^{[citation needed]} A more likely source is that gin was and is a popular hard liquor in Great Britain and elsewhere, and the original/traditional source of "Holland Gin" was Holland, a region of the Netherlands.

Another popular etymology is from the plague era of 1666. During this plague, only Dutch merchant sailors would deliver supplies to the city of London. However, they would only deliver such after becoming drunk. However, this etymology is questionable, due to the fact that in this time the English and Dutch were bitter rivals and constantly warring with one another (although regardless of this, trade between the two nations boomed under this time).

References

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See also

• Anglo-Dutch Wars
• Going Dutch
• Double Dutch