Dutch uncle - wikipedia Dutch uncle For other uses, see Dutch uncle ( disambiguation ). A Dutch uncle is an informal term for a person who issues frank, harsh, or severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage, or admonish someone. Thus, a `` Dutch uncle '' is the reverse of what is normally thought of as avuncular or uncle - like ( indulgent and permissive ). Contents 1 Origins 2 Alternative explanations 3 Footnotes 4 References Origins This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2013 ) During the Anglo - Dutch Wars between England and the Netherlands in the 17th century, the English language gained an array of insults ( including `` Dutch uncle '' ), such as : `` Dutch courage '' ( alcohol - induced bravery ) `` Double Dutch '' ( incomprehensible, nonsense ) `` Dutch cap '' ( contraceptive diaphragm ) `` Dutch wife '' ( prostitute ; sex doll ) `` Dutch widow '' ( prostitute ) `` Dutch comfort '' ( saying that `` Things could be worse ! '' ) `` Dutch metal '' or `` Dutch gold '' ( cheap alloy resembling gold ) `` Dutch treat '' ( social date where the invitee pays for himself / herself ) `` Dutch concert '' ( noise and uproar, as from a drunken crowd ) `` Dutch - bottomed '' ( empty ) `` Dutch nightingale '' ( frog ) These terms also gained prominence in 17th - century New England during its rivalry with New Netherland, which the Dutch captured ( and later recaptured ) during the Second Anglo - Dutch War. These colorful ( though now incongruous ) phrases became part of English usage worldwide, and some are still in use. Alternative explanations Another proposed explanation is that the term, often expressed as `` talk to one like a Dutch uncle, '' originated in the early 19th century as an allusion to the sternness and sobriety attributed to the Dutch. Dutch behaviour is defined in the book Culture Shock ! Netherlands : A Survival Guide To Customs and Etiquette as `` practical, direct, outspoken, stubborn, well - organised, blunt and thinking they are always right. '' According to that source, these are the alleged reasons behind the English term `` Dutch uncle. '' Another book that advocates this theory is The UnDutchables, which assigns comparable characteristics to Dutch people : `` not lacking in self - esteem... caught up in a cycle of endless envy... always speak their mind... frank, obstinate, blunt '', basically summed up by the phrase `` the natives thrive on shaking their fingers at and scolding each other. '' Footnotes Jump up ^ Janin, Hunt. Culture Shock ! Netherlands : A Survival Guide To Customs and Etiquette. ISBN 1 - 55868 - 948 - 6 Jump up ^ White, Colin & Boucke, Laurie. The UnDutchables. ISBN 978 - 1 - 888580 - 44 - 0 References Bolt, Rodney. The Xenophobe 's Guide to the Dutch. ISBN 1 - 902825 - 25 - X Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dutch_uncle&oldid=789624433 '' Categories : English phrases Anti-Dutch sentiment Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2013 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 8 July 2017, at 13 : 49. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where does the term dutch uncle come from
Answer: the Anglo-Dutch Wars between England and the Netherlands in the 17th century