# Dutch reckoning

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dutch-reckoning
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A (falsified) bill that is not itemised, and that is unjustifiably high.

## Examples

- The waiter gave us a Dutch reckoning for the meal.
- We were shocked by the final total, which looked like a classic Dutch reckoning with no prices listed.
- The merchant presented a suspicious Dutch reckoning, forcing the traveler to pay a sum far exceeding the actual value of the goods received.

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