Dutchman's breeches

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English[edit]

Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

In the case of the plants, named because their flower petals resemble baggy pants worn by Dutch settlers to North America (compare slops, knickerbockers).

Noun[edit]

Dutchman's breeches pl (plural only)

  1. A plant of the species Dicentra cucullaria, native to eastern North America and the Columbia River basin.
    Synonyms: boys and girls, Indian boys and girls
  2. A plant of the species Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis, similar to D. cucullaria, but red or pink.
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Dutchman,‎ -'s,‎ breeches.
    • 1796, Samuel Bishop, “Epigram II. Plus, Minus.”, in The Poetical Works of the Rev. Samuel Bishop, A.M.‎[1], volume 2, →OCLC, page 163:
      A Dutchman's breeches, in full taste, / Two contrasted extremes divide; / Buttons, like platters, at the waist, / And studs, like peas, along the side.
    • 1915, Harold Donaldson Eberlein, The Architecture of Colonial America (Library of American civilization)‎[2], →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 14:
      We have all heard it said of the Dutchman's breeches that they could be made to contain whatever objects could be forced through the pocket apertures, and the number of things that the Dutchman could stow away in the baggy recesses of his nether garments has always been a source of wonder to the foreigner.
    • 1950 October, MotorBoating‎[3], →ISSN, page 21:
      Up went the jib and then the mainsail. Being home-made, they hung baggy as a Dutchman's breeches, but when I cast off the mooring lines the breeze blew out the wrinkles and everything was fine.

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