Go Dutch

If you go Dutch, how do you pay for a meal for two people?

I've always wondered why the Dutch got blamed for this practice.

There are quite a lot of Dutch idioms, mostly negative, that appeared around the time of the war with England and the Netherlands.

I'd have added a fourth option to this:

- to pay half the bill each regardless of what you ate.

I can't edit the poll.

I am sorry that my contribution to the discussion does not uplift its general tone. Lately someone I have known since I was a child told me: "The Dutch are Scotch who swam to the other shore of the sea.." The Dutch are good swimmers and notably don't fear the low teperatures of the (North) sea, but one wonders.

Is there a saying that mentions the generosity of any nation or ethnical group?

I can't think of one off-hand.

Radiolinoleum said:

I am sorry that my contribution to the discussion does not uplift its general tone. Lately someone I have known since I was a said, "The Dutch are Scots who swam to the other shore of the sea." The Dutch are good swimmers and notably don't fear the low temperatures of the (North) sea, but one wonders.

Is there a saying that mentions the generosity of any nation or ethnical group?

Click to expand...

The stereotype of Scots is that they're cheap. Your friend is saying that the Dutch are cheap because they're descended from Scots. As you rightly suspect, it has nothing to do with swimming. It's just a common ethnic slur.

And no, I can't think of any nationality with a stereotype of generosity. I hope someone here can!

It would be nice, but unlikely.