Dutch courage
Preserved but no longer current.
The courage excited by drink; pot valour. The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose, Disarmed of that from which their courage grows; While the glad English, to relieve their toil, In healths to their great leader drink the spoil.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Dutch courage” mean?
The courage excited by drink; pot valour. The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose, Disarmed of that from which their courage grows; While the glad English, to relieve their toil, In healths to their great leader drink the spoil.
Is “Dutch courage” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.