Comments on: Dutch, Do the

By: Luke Sutton

Luke Sutton — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:26:43 +0000

I have heard the phrase “dutch miracle” does anyone know what this means?

By: Diane

Diane — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:51:11 +0000

Isn’t there a term Dutch uncle?

Re Wooster, I wonder if the significant word about deriding the pitcher is “modern”, not Dutch, since thus it was not an antique.

By: Armine

Armine — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:58:35 +0000

I have come across the term “to take English leave” meaning to leave a party without drawing attention to one’s person. I remember the term “English leave” to imply politeness on the part of the person who leaves, as if he had rather he did not disturb the rest of the company. Do you think my understanding correct?

By: Sitting Duck

Sitting Duck — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:57:57 +0000

Another of those Dutch terms heard under another nationality would be taking Dutch leave, which I’ve always heard of as taking French leave.

This particular column brought to mind The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. You may recall in that one that Bertie is tasked with going to an antiques shop to have a look at a silver cream jug in the shape of a cow his Uncle Tom had reserved and make disparaging remarks about it (to shame the proprietor into lowering the price). One of the things he was instructed to do was to imply that the creamer was modern Dutch. Before having read this column, I had assumed that the Netherlands had a notoriety for producing cheap replicas. Anyone know which interpretation would be correct?

By: Diana T

Diana T — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:57:43 +0000

I’ve never heard of “Dutch courage”, but I have heard of “Irish courage”, to be the result of drinking. Which didn’t surprise me since there are a lot of alcohol-related terms attributed to the Irish.