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P/CLOUDY Temp: 67 °F Wind: NW at 6 mph Monday, August 19, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 26, 2002 Since you asked A ‘Dutch’ uncle isn’t of Holland The other day at a family picnic, a friend of my father’s, an older gentleman, gave our 9-year-old son Kevin a little lecture about the value of money. He said that he was speaking as a Dutch uncle. We were wondering, why Dutch? — Mary A., Central Point Hope you didn’t have to work up your Dutch courage to ask, Mary. The word "Dutch" came into English not from the Netherlands but from the German word "Deutsch," meaning German. The word wasn’t widely used for natives of the Netherlands before the 16th century. A Dutch uncle is understood to be a man who likes to give stern lectures. A Dutch uncle may be well-intentioned today, but "Dutch" references in English during England’s colonial rivalry with the Netherlands took on pejorative tones that in many cases have lasted for centuries. According to the Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, "Dutch courage" was liquor, a "Dutch defense" was a surrender, and "Dutch reckoning" is a guess. Next time the Dutch uncle shows up, why don’t you get Kevin to invite him to go out for ice cream? Then tell him it’s Dutch treat. 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] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S