Where does the term “Dutch treat” come from?
This is a variation on the term ‘Dutch treat’; it means that it’s not a ‘treat’ at all because each person pays their own way. According to Wikipedia, there are 2 possible origins to this phrase: 1. it is a traditional custom in the Netherlands (land of the Dutch, although the Dutch occupy only part of the Netherlands); or 2. it is one of the many phrases originating in the ancient rivalry between the English and the Dutch , in which ‘Dutch’ is used as a negative stereotype, and therefore adjective – e.g. Dutch courage = bravery induced by liquor, or Double Dutch = nonsense. For other racial and ethnic slurs , see here http://en.wikipedia.org/…/…ed_on_stereotypes — The Netherlands is often referred to by the name ‘Holland.’ This is not terminologically precise, as the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country’s twel
