dutch consolation
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
"thank God it is no worse." "It might have been worse," said a man whom the devil was carrying to hell. "How?" asked a neighbour. "Well, he’s carrying me—he might have made me carry him."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “dutch consolation” mean?
"thank God it is no worse." "It might have been worse," said a man whom the devil was carrying to hell. "How?" asked a neighbour. "Well, he’s carrying me—he might have made me carry him."
Is “dutch consolation” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.