Is this true about Dutch men?

Question

I always hear that they are cheap or really tight with money (going Dutch), is that true? I didn't think the ones I know were, but I guess I can't be sure. Why do people group them all like that, what do you think about it?

Answer 1

Those negative terms (stereotypes) about the Dutch in the ENGLISH LANGUAGE are from the time when the Netherlands and Britain were at war with each other (four Anglo-Dutch wars from 1652 to 1784). Proof of this is in the fact that in other languages like German, French, Spanish or Portugese there are no such terms about the Dutch...

Dutch men are no more or less cheap than any other nationality as a group, some Dutch men are extremely tight with money while others spend it like water... "Going Dutch" is an English expression and doesn't say anything about modern day dutchmen, perhaps it does say something about the Dutch of several centuries ago, but it probably says more about the British of a few centuries ago...

From Wikipedia;

"... In the Netherlands, it is not unusual to pay separately when going out as a group. When dating in a 1 on 1 situation however, the man will most commonly pay for meals and drinks. English rivalry with The Netherlands especially during the period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars gave rise to several phrases including Dutch that promote certain negative stereotypes. Examples include Dutch courage, Dutch uncle and Dutch wife. The particular stereotype associated with this usage is the idea of Dutch people as ungenerous and selfish.

In Spain, "going Dutch" is attributed to Catalans, due to a stereotype that they are somewhat penny-pinchers. A stereotypical non-Catalan Spaniard would compete to pay the bill for the group.

In Italy, the expression pagare alla romana can be translated as: "To pay like people of Rome" or "to pay like they do in Rome". It has the same meaning as "going Dutch".

Some South American countries use the Spanish phrase pagar a la americana (literally "To pay American style") which refers to a trait attributed to people from the U.S.A. or Canada.

In Argentina specifically, 'a la romana' (exact translation of Italian's 'pagare alla romana') is widely used and 'pagar a la americana' (pay American style) doesn't exist.

The gambling term dutching may follow this same route as it describes a system that shares stakes across a number of bets. It is commonly believed, however, that the Dutch reference here was in fact derived from a gangster (Dutch Schultz) who used this strategy to profit from racing."

About the Anglo-Dutch wars;

"...The United Provinces (Netherlands) were the first country to salute the American flag, and Great Britain was ever after suspicious of the Dutch. ..."

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... and now they hate us for having a better national football team ;-)

Answer 2

I am a Dutch woman, I feel uncomfortable when with a man who insist on paying everything, and so do those of my friends I have talked with, about it.
So I assume that Dutch men now have been 'trained' by their parents and girlfriends that it is normal that each pays his/her own share.

Of course, some men will still pay all and some will not pay anything and expect the girl to pay the bill.

What I have seen when traveling is that in more countries where young women and young men both work, both will pay either half or half the time.
(I think it is unreasonable if one is paying all the time while the other is earning as much or more.)

Answer 3

No it’s not. Most of the guys try to act all tough and ‘ganster’. It’s kind of stupid how they act. People might think so because of the European bags (that sometimes look like female bags) but that’s crap. A lot of European guys have those. As for colors, Dutch guys wear pink but that doesn’t make them really feminine because the shirts aren’t girly even though the color is pink. Besides, most Dutch guys have a really low voice compared to Americans or Asians for example. I doubt that makes them sound feminine XD why would you think they're feminine?

Answer 4

Where smoke is, is fire. So there must be some truth in this saying. Dutch think economically, they're the sparing types.
Especially the elder people. The young people are spending their money more easily.

Answer 5

that's true...!! but its not only men,its also dutch women who are tight with money, ever heard of "dutch treat" when everyone pays for their own food/drinks. of course there are some who are not.

Answer 6

I don't think so. I fund Dutch men to be very kind, courteous, and fun :)

Answer 7

My Dad's Dutch and man he spends his money so much,if it's cheap he won't buy it.Really funny.

Answer 8

This actually began with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the U.S. They have the reputation of being tight with their money... hence the "going Dutch" reference.

Answer 9

I was married to a Dutch man and so was my daughter and it is TRUE!!

Answer 10

Well it depends on who you are comparing them with ... but on a general note ... yeah, they are a bit stingy with their money, and hence comes the term "lets go dutch" meaning ... everyone pays for themselves.