the Dutch act

Dutch act

1. The act of committing suicide. The disparaging use of the word "Dutch" is a reference to the fierce rivalry between England and the Dutch in the 17th century. After her daughter died, we were worried that Mary might be tempted to do the Dutch act.
2. The act of deserting or fleeing from something, especially military duty. (See above for origin.) Robert is likely to be court-martialed for doing the Dutch act while on active duty in Iraq.
See also: act, Dutch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the Dutch act

and the Dutch cure
n. suicide. Well, Ken took the Dutch cure last week. So sad. It was the Dutch act. He ate his gun.
See also: act, Dutch
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • Dutch act
  • do the Dutch
  • the Dutch cure
  • go Dutch
  • Dutch
  • get (one's) Dutch up
  • be in Dutch (with someone)
  • in Dutch
  • in Dutch (with someone)
  • my old dutch
References in periodicals archive
This announcement is released pursuant to the EU transparency directive and the Dutch act on financial supervision.
BNP Paribas issues 2015 half-year report
These claims were settled under the Dutch Act on Collective Settlements of Mass Damages, which allows for the collective resolution for members of a class who do not opt out.
Preparing for global securities litigation & regulatory enforcement expansion
(ii) a private placement of at least 5m [euro], made in the two preceding years, distributed among at least five qualified investors (as defined in the Dutch Act on the financial supervision (Wet op bet financial toezicht) which includes professional investors).
The Netherlands: Alternext Amsterdam--An attractive alternative?
The Dutch act entertained guests in the VIP room with a great set - Peterborough chairman Barry Fry and funnyman Jimmy Carr did the honours during the dinner - before retiring to the lobby bar with the last guests standing.
FOOTBALL: SPORT CONFIDENTIAL
The Dutch act's first No 1 appeals to pre- teens and party animals alike.
CHARTSLOT
Dore compares the Dutch Act with the Model Law, and in so doing notes the Dutch Act's areas of clarity and of confusion.26 This comparison is similar to the one he makes between the different sets of arbitration rules in Chapter One.
The UNCITRAL Framework for Arbitration in Contemporary Perspective