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Go Dutch

Go Dutch English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Sep 28 2010

Themes: Romance

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Traditionally, when American couples go out on a date, the man pays for everything. But that’s not always how it goes. Sometimes the woman will treat, and sometimes, they’ll split the cost, or go dutch.

When it comes time to pay for a meal or some drinks, it can be a little confusing if one person plans to go dutch and the other doesn’t. It’s common for friends to go dutch, and some couples like to do it, too. But if they haven’t been out before, there’s no way of knowing. See what happens when Jeff and Ella get the check after dinner.

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Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jeff

Jeff

Ella

Ella

Waitress

Jeff:  That was quite enjoyable!

Ella:  Yeah! Great decision. I like this place a lot.

Waitress:  Here’s your bill.

Ella:  I’m so full!

Jeff:  That was great. It was worth every penny.

Ella:  I’m glad we got dessert.

Jeff:  Everything else is going good?

Ella:  Yeah! Just…just getting tired of the way things get changed up at work a little bit, but…what are you going to do.

Jeff:  Yeah. So, what’s the damage? That’s not bad. I was thinking we’d go dutch on this?

Ella:  What… what’s that?

Jeff:  Split it down the middle? [def ]Fifty-fifty[/def]?

Ella:  Perhaps…

Jeff:  You’re fine with that?

Ella:  Yeah… super chill.

Jeff:  What’s chill for you is chill for me!

Ella:  Yeah… totally.

Waitress:  Just split it down the middle?

Jeff:  Oh yeah. We’re going dutch tonight.

Waitress:  Great!

Ella:  Yay, dutch…

Jeff:  Perfect!

Ella:  Hello? Hey, oh my gosh. So, I’m still on my date here, and we had to go dutch. You know, like, split down the middle? Yeah! What the heck? He’s a lawyer! Is he cheap, or something? I don’t understand. Like, with Mason, I never had to pay for anything. He, like, paid for my student loans, like, there was no question. Like, what’s the deal here? What’s going on? Oh God, he’s coming back. Gotta go.

Jeff:  Alright! What’s up? What do you say?

Ella:  Oh, all good! Yeah!

Jeff:  On to the rest of the night!

Ella:  Yeah!

Jeff:  Let’s do it!

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Jeff and Ella have a nice dinner together. When the check comes, she carefully pushes it toward him. Eventually he picks it up, looks at it, and suggests they go dutch and split the bill.

Ella agrees to go dutch, but clearly isn’t very happy about it. You can tell she doesn’t usually go dutch because Jeff has to explain to her what the phrase means. The phrase comes from Dutch doors, which open in the middle.

While Jeff is inside the restaurant for a moment, Ella calls a friend to complain about what just happened. She is reminded of Mason, who spent money on her freely when he was trying to date her.

Who pays when you go out? In what circumstances do you think is it appropriate to go dutch?

 

Comments

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SVETASSuper Member!

Latvia

Interesting lesson. I think how to pay the bill depends on the situation. My husband pays all my bills, but when we go out with friends, we go duch. This is Ok. 



07:46 PM Nov 10 2015 |

fabsir

fabsir

Brazil

When I go out with friends we either split the bill evenly among ourselves or each one pays for what he or she had. If it is only me and another friend then we usually split the bill down in the middle. When on a date, if I am the person who has asked the other person out I will pay the bill. But I have met cheap guys who order drinks or food and then leave without chipping in.



11:17 PM Apr 26 2012 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Hummm If I ask someone to go out I always pay the bill…this is a matter of chivalry ;) But course,if I have no money I don't go out home so I ask my girlfriend to do a cheap program hehehe

10:44 PM Nov 27 2010 |

KimQuy

Viet Nam

The fisrt time make dating, the man should pay for the woman! However, next time the both of them should go dutch!

04:10 PM Oct 22 2010 |

noraline

Cote D'Ivoire

when a man date a girl it is more appropriate that he pays the bill,unless it is your boyfriend you notice he does not have money this time to pay in that case you can either split the bill or go dutch

11:17 AM Oct 15 2010 |

menvantha

Cambodia

If you invite your friend for meal, you have to pay for them, except you already have a small talk to know that you are go dutch. But normally when couple go out to have a meal, man always pay for the meal. 

07:14 PM Oct 13 2010 |

emmashow1280

China

 not usually go duch ,if it is a date.i mean boy and girl , but some time boy payed, sometime times i payed, but sometime i go out for dinner or holiday with my friends,mostly we go duch, cause no rich men here.

01:55 AM Oct 07 2010 |

joseve

Venezuela

not only men must pay all the bill, women can pay too but i think GO DUTCH is a good way to enjoy differents times when both don't have enought money…

10:11 PM Oct 06 2010 |

angela34

angela34

Syrian Arab Republic

Well, if the two are students, still not working, naturally they should split especially on a first date, of course it would not be nice for the guy to ask us to pay, but if the girl is understanding, going dutch really eases things up, things work out you will work something out later, things do not work out, no body owes any body else a lunch or a dinner or what ever…......

08:13 AM Oct 06 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

ohhh come on, i think this is an opportunity to win us , and to express that they can pay the bill.
girls , is time that u pay !!! 

10:50 PM Oct 04 2010 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 when i go to out 4 dinner my husband pay bill   but sometime he does`t have money i invite him .

07:45 PM Oct 04 2010 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 morally man should pay bill  . if it`s first time    because women don`t like miser men  .

07:33 PM Oct 04 2010 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

I don't remeber every date of mine, but I usually prefer to go Dutch.You know, when you let a man to pay for you he seems to expect something else in return and I'm not ok with that…or maybe I'm just too suspicious, who knows?

08:37 AM Oct 04 2010 |

Tharolim

Tharolim

Brazil

Since I'm married, my husband always pays the bill when we go out. When we were just dating, we used to go dutch, because I think it isn't fair just one person to pay for everything. Of couse it depends too on the situation. If it's a surprise dinner or something like that, there is no sense at all going dutch.

06:36 PM Oct 01 2010 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

Women are so funny. At first they want equal rights, emancipation and no discrimination, but when they are offered to go Dutch they don’t like it))) Just kidding.If I went out on a date with Ella of cause I would have paid all the damage. It’s a tradition. But sometimes on a date girls suggest to split the bill. And I know that some boys suggest girls to pay all the damage and it happens too.

08:09 PM Sep 30 2010 |

1 person likes this

charming princess

Saudi Arabia

Nice phrase . Go dutch . If i go out with my sisters and brothers we won't split the cost. Everyone of us insists that she/he is going to pay for the meal. Usually we agree on this provided that we take turns . So next time i will pay and then my other sister and so forth.The same goes when I am with my friends. Some times it is insulting if we split the cost, especially when the other person buys a bottle of water for you ! Do not even think of going dutch on this loool. Cool lesson. Actually super cool !

09:07 PM Sep 28 2010 |

Mai Ngoc

Viet Nam

yes,....he is cheap…^_* he is a lawyer.I know sometimes we need 2go dutch but if he does that all the time…..you know what happens

02:43 PM Sep 28 2010 |

kings4life

kings4life

Ghana

Actually men pays for the bill when dating a girl, But in a case whereby the girl, dates a man she wouldn’t like the man to pay the bill.

02:40 PM Sep 28 2010 |

Mapleleaf Man

Canada

There are a lot of derogatory phrases about the Dutch that are still in use today, dating back to the days of the Dutch settlements in present-day New York. The term Dutch Treat means the same as this. Dutch Uncle is another derogatory term that has evolved into our present slang. It's interesting the in the Netherlands, Amerikaans feest is used to denote the same type of sharing the cost of a meal as Dutch Treat. What goes around comes around. 

02:40 PM Sep 28 2010 |

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