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Dictionary:

Dutch courage


n. Informal.

Courage acquired from drinking liquor.


 
 
Idioms: Dutch courage

False courage acquired by drinking liquor, as in He had a quick drink to give him Dutch courage. This idiom alludes to the reputed heavy drinking of the Dutch, and was first referred to in Edmund Waller's Instructions to a Painter (1665): "The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose, Disarm'd of that from which their courage grows."


 
WordNet: Dutch courage
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: courage resulting from intoxication


 
Wikipedia: Dutch courage

The phrase Dutch courage is a slang term for courage gained from intoxication by alcohol. It is synonymous with liquid courage.

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" show Dutch people in a bad light.[citation needed]

The origin of the phrase : During the bubonic plague of London (1665), the city was sealed off to avoid contamination. This meant no food was permitted in. The only people willing to trade with London were the Dutch, who left food on jetties and then would take the money left there. They used to steel their nerves with liquor before landing on the plague-infested shores, hence "Dutch courage." To this day, the Dutch still have the freedom of the river Thames, which was granted as a reward for their courage and kindness.[citation needed]

Another possible etymology of the phrase comes from the origin of gin. Gin (originally called jenever) was created by the Dutch, from whom it spread to England through returning soldiers. The popularity of gin became a social scourge, eventually leading to the Gin Act of 1751 and the perjorative use of the term.

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dutch courage" Read more

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