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Author: 69BookWorM69

Jul 28th 2013 at 2:20:27 PM

^^ I really think this is distinct from InVinoVeritas. Both tropes use the suppression-of-inhibitions property of alcohol, but in the service of different things.

^^^ I'm not sure just how old the phrase "Dutch courage" is, or whether it's specific to Britain (or simply more prevalent there). I've heard it twice in media set in Britain in the 1950s:

Live-Action Television:
* in the 2004 adaptation of Creator/AgathaChristie's ''The Murder at the Vicarage'', the character Sylvia Lester speaks of needing "Dutch courage" before [[spoiler: telling Lettice Protheroe that she's the girl's mother]]. Mrs. Lester is depicted as a frequent drinker; she offers "a stiffener" from her own flask at a tea party, and she's often seen at a local hotel bar.
* In the 2006 adaptation of Creator/AgathaChristie's ''The Moving Finger'', hard-drinking war veteran Jerry Burton (who also narrates the episode) speaks of needing "Dutch courage" at one point. His use of alcohol to cope with life after his wartime experiences jumpstarts the plot, since he crashes his motorcycle and goes to a small village to recuperate.