Document text
43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 3, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 29, 2005 Since You Asked Dutch take a beating in English slang terms What is the meaning of the phrase "Dutch uncle"? Also, please explain the origin of its use in our common language. — Anne S., Medford We here at Since You Asked must keep up our Web-surfing skills and this question allowed us to catch a wave at several linguistic sites. Two sources were rather terse in the their explanations of "Dutch uncle." The site www.UsingEnglish.com , for instance, simply defines the term: "A Dutch uncle is a person who gives unwelcome advice." Ditto for www.yourdictionary.com , which offers this description: "A stern, candid critic or advisor." Only the site www.worddetective.com — one our faves — offered us the depth and breadth of information we truly sought. Founder Evan Morris delves deeply into the origins of all things Dutch, linguistically speaking, anyway. Advertisement He traces phrases such as "Dutch uncle" and "Dutch treat" to a 17th-century squabble between England and the Netherlands. During that time, citizens of both countries came up with particularly nasty insults for their enemies. According to the slurs that survived in our English-speaking culture, a "Dutch uncle" is a harsh, unforgiving critic or advisor, exactly the opposite of the kind, compassionate figure an uncle is supposed to be. Similarly, a "Dutch treat" is no treat at all, as both parties pay their own way. As an aside, Morris notes that this topic is explored in detail by Hugh Rawson, author of the book "Wicked Words." He noted that many anti-Dutch terms became popular in the U.S. because of confusion with the word "Deutsch," or German. They were often applied disparagingly to German immigrants. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s