Dutch courage, also known as pot-valiance or liquid courage, refers to
courage gained from
intoxication with
alcohol.
History
The popular story dates the etymology of the term ''Dutch courage'' to English soldiers fighting in the
Anglo-Dutch Wars
The Anglo–Dutch Wars ( nl, Engels–Nederlandse Oorlogen) were a series of conflicts mainly fought between the Dutch Republic and England (later Great Britain) from mid-17th to late 18th century. The first three wars occurred in the second ...
(1652–1674) and perhaps as early as the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
(1618–1648). One version states that
jenever (or Dutch gin) was used by English soldiers for its calming effects before battle, and for its purported warming properties on the body in cold weather. Another version has it that English soldiers noted the bravery-inducing effects of jenever on Dutch soldiers.
Gin is a Dutch invention, and was first distilled in Holland in the 16th century. The flavouring in gin comes from
juniper berries
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry, but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which gives it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especia ...
. The Dutch word for 'juniper' is 'jenever', which got
Anglicised to 'ginever' and then finally to '
gin'. Gin would go on to become popular in Britain thanks to King
William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic f ...
(William of Orange, ), who was also
Stadtholder of the Netherlands.
See also
*
Double Dutch
*
Dutch uncle
Dutch uncle is an informal term for a person who issues frank, harsh or severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage or admonish someone. Thus, a "Dutch uncle" is the reverse of what is normally thought of as avuncular or uncle-like (indu ...
*
Going Dutch
"Going Dutch" (sometimes written with lower-case dutch) is a term that indicates that each person participating in a paid activity covers their own expenses, rather than any one person in the group defraying the cost for the entire group. The term ...
(a.k.a. Dutch treat, Dutch date)
References
{{Reflist, refs=
[{{cite web , url=https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-68084,00.html , title=Where does the phrase 'going Dutch' originate? , website=]The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, access-date=26 December 2022
[{{cite book , chapter=Dutch , title=Oxford English Dictionary , edition=2nd , date=1989 , publisher=]Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
[{{cite web , url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dutch-courage/ , title=What is the origin of the phrase 'Dutch Courage'? , first=Eugene , last=Byrne , website=HistoryExtra , date=26 July 2013 , access-date=26 December 2022]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dutch-courage.html , title=Dutch courage , first=Gary , last=Martin , website=phrases.org.uk , access-date=26 December 2022]
Further reading
* Discovery Channel's "How Do They Do It"
* Andrews, S (2007). "Textbook Of Food & Beverage Management", Tata McGraw-Hill (264).
English phrases
Etymologies
Anti-Dutch sentiment
Alcohol