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“Dutch courage” is the term for bravery obtained by drinking alcohol, with origins in England’s enmity towards the Netherlands. The term may have come from English soldiers challenging Dutch bravery, or from the Dutch supplying England with goods during the bubonic plague while drunk. Other theories link it to the Dutch invention of gin. These terms are now considered obsolete and discriminatory.
Dutch courage is a slang term that has fallen out of use in many cultures. It is essentially courage obtained by drinking alcoholic beverages. There is something to be said for this courage. Alcohol can reduce inhibitions and make people less likely to be fearful under difficult circumstances. However, too much alcohol simply makes people stupid and certainly doesn’t help in situations where clarity is needed as much as courage.
There are numerous explanations as to why or how the Dutch phrase courage evolved. This idiom is thought to have originated in England and was used to express the severe disgust people had for those living in the Netherlands. There are many negative phrases from England and then the colonized Americas about the Dutch, and for many years, several centuries ago, the enmity between England and the Netherlands was very deep.
Part of the anger between these two countries stemmed from the dispute over who would control the seas, trade and colonization of the new world. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the English fought four wars, called the Anglo-Dutch Wars. English soldiers may have evolved the Dutch phrase bravery to challenge their enemies’ bravery. In this sense the term is a racial slur suggesting that the Dutch would only show up to wars if they were drunk.
A kinder explanation also emerges from the 17th century. When England was in the grip of the bubonic plague, only the Dutch would supply England with supplies. However there are reports that they would do so after getting drunk. This may have been to build courage or to minimize the chances of contracting the disease.
Another potential origin of the term Dutch bravery may have to do with the fact that the Dutch invented gin. Gin consumption became problematic in England in the 18th century. This prompted England to pass laws tightening restrictions on who could sell or buy gin. It’s not clear why the invention of gin is related to Dutch bravery, since it usually has to do with bravery or lack thereof, except that the Dutch created gin.
Most stories about the origins of Dutch bravery have racial and national prejudice at their heart, and unfortunately there are many terms that demean the people of the Netherlands. Dutch trick means people pay for their food, and a Dutch uncle is one who lectures too much. In a modern sense, as the need for a global understanding becomes ever more important, these terms are obsolete. They represent past enmity that no longer exists and continued racial discrimination.
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