July 26, 2002
Since you asked
A ‘Dutch’ uncle isn’t of Holland
The other day at a family picnic, a friend of my father’s, an older gentleman, gave our 9-year-old son Kevin a
little lecture about the value of money. He said that he was speaking as a Dutch uncle. We were wondering, why Dutch?
— Mary A., Central Point
Hope you didn’t have to work up your Dutch courage to ask, Mary.
The word "Dutch" came into English not from the Netherlands but from the German word "Deutsch,"
meaning German. The word wasn’t widely used for natives of the Netherlands before the 16th century.
A Dutch uncle is understood to be a man who likes to give stern lectures. A Dutch uncle may be well-intentioned today,
but "Dutch" references in English during England’s colonial rivalry with the Netherlands took on
pejorative tones that in many cases have lasted for centuries.
According to the Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, "Dutch courage" was liquor, a "Dutch
defense" was a surrender, and "Dutch reckoning" is a guess.
Next time the Dutch uncle shows up, why don’t you get Kevin to invite him to go out for ice cream? Then tell him
it’s Dutch treat.
Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to
541-776-4376; or by e-mail to
youasked@mailtribune.com
|
