I think I remember my teacher of English saying that this expression means leaving a social meeting without this fact being noticed. It was quite a few years ago, however,  and now I’m not so sure whether I invented this "idiom" myself or if there really is an expression like this. Could somebody help, please?

Ewa

Hi, ewa20.01.  I looked in my OED, Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, and on www.worldwidewords.org, etc.  But couldn’t find anything on Dutch leave.  I found this http://ftp3.baeoom.com/homepage_download/voa/96.htm while a-googling:

A ‘Dutch’ bargain or agreement was one made between men who had drunk too much alcohol.
"Dutch courage was the false courage produced by alcohol. And, ‘Dutch leave’ was what a soldier took when he left his base without permission.

 I’ll see if I can find anything else.  If I can’t I’m sure someone will!

Glad to see you here.  I’ll leave the formal welcome to the formal welcomers.    ;)

David

Dutch Bargain, Dutch Courage, Dutch Leave and Dutch treat

Also French Leave?

"Dutch leave" is to be missing without permission.  "French leave" means to go without saying good-bye (or being dismissed).

Similiar, but not always completely interchangeable!

FRENCH LEAVE

There aren’t many sites that explain "Dutch leave."

This one says that "Dutch leave" and "French leave" are the same thing.

Sitran

Aaah, what a relief, so my memory is not so bad altogether! I’m afraid  that it was my teacher who made the mistake and overlooked the nuance. Thank you so much for taking the trouble.

Interestingly,  in Polish we tend to accuse the English of leaving in the French way. ("wyjsc po angielsku") I really have no idea why!

And I didn’t know that there are so many other expressions with Dutch. One never stops learning…....

Ewa

[quote author=ewa20.01 link=board=idiom;num=1076451404;start=0#3 date=02/10/04 at 18:10:33]Aaah, what a relief, so my memory is not so bad altogether! I’m afraid  that it was my teacher who made the mistake and overlooked the nuance. Thank you so much for taking the trouble.

Interestingly,  in Polish we tend to accuse the English of leaving in the French way. ("wyjsc po angielsku") I really have no idea why!

Would that the Germans had done so in 1939 . . .

::)

(I’m working my way through Churchill’s The Gathering Storm these days.)

And I didn’t know that there are so many other expressions with Dutch. One never stops learning…....

Ewa

Everyone has to have someone to pick on.  Different ethnic groups are the butt of different people’s jokes.  In Canada, it’s Newfie (Newfoundlander) jokes; in the US, we offend everyone equally.  

The French for "take French leave" is filer à l’anglaise…

Coemgenus