Is It A Good Idea To "Go Dutch"�?

Quite often it is, though the saying is rare nowadays. To "go Dutch" or "have a Dutch treat" means that everybody pays for their own drinks, meal or whatever. The saying has become unusual because this is normal practice now, but in the days when it was usual for men to  pay for women on dates, the girl would sometimes offer to "go Dutch" and pay her own share.

There are many odd sayings about the Dutch in English. Dutch courage, for instance, is a euphemism for alcohol, especially having a drink to steady your nerves ("I need some Dutch courage before I make the speech.") To "talk to someone like a Dutch uncle" means to give them a friendly lecture, and (perhaps the oddest of all) a "Dutch party" is one where the host gets drunk before the guests do.

These and other sayings are probably the legacy of ancient rivalries between these two trading and seafaring nations.