To go Dutch
(informal)
= When a group of people each pay their own expenses on an outing.
= To split the cost of a meal etc. when on a date instead of one person paying for everything.
- Fred and his girlfriend always go Dutch on their dates.
- I don’t have much money on me. How about we go Dutch tonight?
If you go Dutch on a date, it means that you pay for half and the partner pays for the other half. Sometimes each person will pay for what they consumed instead of exactly half the amount of the bill/check.
Normally both people agree to go Dutch before they go out so as to avoid an uncomfortable situation when the check/bill arrives at the end of a meal.
Remember: nationalities and languages are spelt with a capital letter in English.
We say Dutch not dutch, English not english.
To go halves
Another similar term to going Dutch is to go halves.
= I pay for half and you pay for the other half.
- Let’s go halves in a pizza for lunch.
Remember: the word half is irregular in plural form.
Half (singular) – Halves (plural)
What do you think about the concept of going Dutch?
Is this common in your country?
