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Dutch reckoning
Dutch reckoning
obsolete A bill or other account of charges that is not itemized or detailed in any way and that is usually irregularly high. The disparaging use of the word "Dutch" is a reference to the fierce rivalry between England and the Dutch in the 17th century. At the end of our stay in the country hotel, we were a little nonplussed at the Dutch reckoning with which we were presented by the concierge.