Dutch courage

unusual or artificial courage arising from the influence of alcohol. (Viewed by some as insulting to the Dutch.) It was Dutch courage that made the football fan attack the policeman. It will take a bit of Dutch courage to make an after-dinner speech.

False courage acquired by drinking liquor, as in He had a quick drink to give him Dutch courage. This idiom alludes to the reputed heavy drinking of the Dutch, and was first referred to in Edmund Waller's Instructions to a Painter (1665): "The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose, Disarm'd of that from which their courage grows."

If you talk about Dutch courage, you mean the feeling of bravery and confidence in yourself that results from drinking alcohol. The survey also noted how some performers used a little Dutch courage to overcome inhibitions. Sometimes before leaving I would drink a glass of vodka on the stairs for Dutch courage. Note: In the past, the Dutch had a reputation for drinking a lot of alcohol.

Boldness induced by drinking. The term alludes to the reputation of the Dutch as heavy drinkers, which in the case of the whiskey-loving British is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. The idea dates back at least to the seventeenth century, when Edmund Waller wrote, “The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose, disarm’d of that from which their courage grows” (Instructions to a Painter, 1665). Sir Walter Scott used the term several times, but it may be dying out.

Bravery acquired by drinking alcohol. Political and economic rivals during the 17th century, England and Holland fought a series of wars. English propagandists spread the rumor that Dutch soldiers and sailors developed the necessary nerve to fight only after drinking gin and other alcoholic beverages. The Dutch haven't fared well in the English language. Other unflattering phrases are “Dutch treat (you pay for only yourself), “Dutch uncle” (a stern person, especially one who gave you a lecture you weren't happy about receiving), and “double Dutch” (gibberish).