Go Dutch

It was Friday morning when i check my email of an invitation to a seminar of "Project Evaluation Meeting" when i stumbled upon the phrase that interest me which was said by the e-mailer.

This is how the email goes:

Dear Research Scientists

·         Just to remind you…

·         Monday 22 November and the following day is PEM seminar at FRIM Auditorium

·         All of you are eligible to attend the seminar (another way of saying that it is compulsory)

·         Please come at before 8.30 a.m. and stay till 5.00 p.m.

·         Do support your colleagues

·         Breakfast will be provided (go Dutch on lunch)

·         Thank you

So which phrase that catch your attention?

Yeap.

"go Dutch on lunch"

So what is actually go dutch on lunch means. Does it means that you have to go to Dutch restaurant for lunch? Or is it you have to drink Dutch Lady milk for lunch?

The center of our attention here are the phrase "go Dutch". I googled and it is not so difficult to find the results which is the phrase is already used worldwide.

So according to Wikipedia (1), Going Dutch is a slang term indicating that each person participating in a shared activity pays for himself or herself, rather than any one person paying for anyone else. Now i know the meaning of it. Credit to e-mailer for using the phrase which have gain me some knowledge on it.

It was an amusing terms to be used according to me which interest me more to google more and i found the history on the use of the phrase "go Dutch"

The review goes like this:

"The phrase "going Dutch" probably originates from Dutch etiquette. In the Netherlands, it is not unusual to pay separately when dating. The Dutch were already internationally known as scrooges, and English rivalry with The Netherlands especially during the period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars gave rise to several phrases including Dutch that promote certain negative stereotypes. Examples include Dutch courage, Dutch uncle and Dutch wife. The particular stereotype associated with this usage is the idea of Dutch people as ungregarious and selfish. In Spain, "going Dutch" is attributed to Catalans, due to a stereotype that they are greedy. A stereotypical non-Catalan Spaniard would compete to invite the group. In Italy, the expression pagare alla romana can be translated as: "To pay like people of Rome" or "to pay like they do in Rome". It has the same meaning as "going Dutch". Curiously, in South American countries exist the Spanish phrase pagar a la americana (literally "To pay American style") which refers to a treat attributed to North Americans or Canadians." (2)

There it goes. Go Dutch. So, I'm going for my lunch now with my friends. But we go Dutch since it is already the middle of the month.

=)

Wassalam.

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_Dutch

2. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=go+dutch