What’s the origin of the phrase to “Go Dutch,” meaning to split the bill for something. I embarassed myself today by saing that it wasn’t from the Dutch, but it was after some tree that split in half. ??? I have to have proof now to redeem myself 
I couldn’t find it on the web!
http://www.word-detective.com/back-l2.html
I’m going to hazard a guess that what you’re asking about is the phrase “Dutch treat,” meaning “no treat at all because each person pays his or her own check.” “Dutch treat” is a linguistic relic of a low point in relations between England and The Netherlands. Back in the 17th century, when both countries were building their global empires, their intense rivalry found an outlet in a wide range of popular sayings invented by each country to insult the other. Since we are primarily an English-speaking culture, the few phrases that have survived are, inevitably, those disparaging the Dutch, but even those are rarely heard today.
According to Hugh Rawson, who explores such topics at length in his wonderful book “Wicked Words” (Crown Publishers), many of the English anti-Dutch terms became popular in the U.S. because of confusion with the word “Deutsch,” or German, and were often applied to German immigrants. For the connoisseurs of insults among us, Mr. Rawson lists more than two pages of anti-Dutch slurs once popular.
Along with “Dutch treat,” which originally implied “cheap,” other insults once popular included “Dutch courage” (liquor), “Dutch defense” (a retreat), “Dutch headache” (a hangover), “Do a Dutch” (commit suicide), “Dutch concert” (a drunken uproar), and “Dutch nightingale” (a frog, which seems an especially low blow).
“Dutch treat” has long since lost its original sting, and today “pay your own way” seems to be standard practice among those who date.
Check here under Dutch treat.
And this here gives the same interpretation.
In a nutshell, they say these are derisive terms from the Brits from old standing biases that are now just part of the common lexicon.
That first part should be:
Check here under Dutch treat.
I changed the title of this thread from URGENT etymology question! to the more descriptive ‘‘Going Dutch’’ etymology question!. Please try to chose more descriptive titles in the future.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
How about “Double Dutch”? There’s a song with DD dancing in the chorus, but I remember we used to call skipping with two ropes moving in opposite directions DD too. Does Wicked Words mention it by any chance maralinn?
Once again, the Word Detective comes to our rescue. He address “Double Dutch” in this column:
Also, “Double Dutch” is used to refer to an unintelligible language.
Well, as WorldWideWords said (in the link provided by ShibbOleth)
The notion that the Dutch are somewhat tight has also survived in several other european countries. And let’s face it, they come from a country with limited natural resources, and got very rich from trade. This made people jealous, and it is still said that (warning, racial stereotypes):