Talk:Dutch courage

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As far as I know Dutch courage came from the time of the pleages. When England was engulfed in the black dead, the Dutch were the only people brave enough to sail to the English coast and do trading. The way the trading was done, involved the English placing trading goods on the beach, then they would retreat end the Dutch would go on shore and pick up the trade goods in exchange leave there trade goods. The man that were brave enough to go on shore got drunk, as they tought that it would protect them from the black dead.

I have to say that I can not say if the story is true, but it is a nice one.

Scubafish

More specifically: during an alliance with the Dutch, English soldiers noticed the practice of drinking a tot of gin (jenever) at stand-to and before battle. Gin was introduced to Britain after this time. Martin Doherty 16:43, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

My understanding is that it comes from the Black Death. The Dutch ships were the only ones brave enough to sail into London during the plague. They were responsible for bring in wines from the continent, therefore when people toasted they drank to the "Dutch Courage".

As a reward Dutch ships were later given "free port entry" to London.

24.22.73.41 02:31, 30 November 2006 (UTC) As an American, my colloquial understanding of the word "Dutch" is quite the opposite of that stated here. We associate the term "Dutch" reflexively with "good". Note the term "it beats the Dutch". In England "Dutch" may be synonymous with "bad", but in colloquial American the term is strongly positive.

24.22.73.41 02:31, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removed from article page

This section is written like a personal reflection or essay and may require cleanup. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (December 2007)

Whilst studying at University I was required to do a literature research project on the "Perceived effects of alcohol, 1600-1800s." During this time I found numerous original newspaper articles citing the origin of the phrase "Dutch courage" relating to when the English and Dutch were at war.

The phrase was linked specifically to the difficulties English forces had in overcoming Dutch forces along the Dutch coast despite outnumbering the defending forces by a ratio of 3 to 1. The main reason for the ferocity of the Dutch forces was claimed to be due to their common bouts of drinking large amounts of gin and/or absinthe or other alcohol during battles. Hence, the term 'Dutch courage' being applied to the decreased sense of fear experienced by individuals when they have consumed alcohol.

I found no evidence during the research regarding the bravery of Dutch traders or sailors delivering goods to London during the plague. However there was a link between London, gin, and the Dutch. This link is best illustrated in the graphical works of William Hogarth, especially his drawings entitled "Mother Gin" and "Gin Lane". The Dutch link is that the downward spiral of English (London) society, as depicted by Hogarth, was associated with English soldiers returning from the wars with the Dutch (as mentioned above) and bringing gin and absinthe with them.

--Ich (talk) 18:41, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removed patent WP:BOLLOCKS

I've removed the following piece of unsourced (and untrue) original research. Please do not re-add it unless you can find a reliable source (which you won't) as it's patently untrue; not only were Britain and the Netherlands at war at the time of the Plague, but the earliest recorded use of the phrase was in 1826. And needless to say, the Dutch do not have "the freedom of the river". — iridescent 20:36, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

During the bubonic plague of London (1665), the city was sealed off to avoid contamination. This meant no food was permitted in. The only people willing to trade with London were the Dutch, who left food on jetties and then would take the money left there. They used to steel their nerves with liquor before landing on the plague-infested shores, hence "Dutch courage." To this day, the Dutch still have the freedom of the river Thames, which was granted as a reward for their courage and kindness.

Another possible etymology of the phrase comes from the origin of Gin. Gin (originally called jenever) was created by the Dutch, from whom it spread to England through returning soldiers. The popularity of gin became a social scourge, eventually leading to the Gin Act of 1751 and the pejorative use of the term.