# go Dutch

idiom

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

## Meaning

To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

## Examples

- Let's go Dutch and split the bill.
- On their first date, they agreed to go Dutch so neither person felt awkward about money.
- Though he had invited her to the concert, she insisted they go Dutch, unwilling to let him shoulder the expense alone.

## Origin

First attested in 1914, the idiom is a derivative of the phrase Dutch treat. It stems from the use of Dutch as a derogatory term for ersatz or poor imitations, an insult originally directed generically toward German-speaking peoples as a whole.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.