The pejorative Netherlandish connotation is news to me, but I suppose one
could argue that I wasn't around in 1874.

 It should be noted that statistically, the chances are very good that the
nationality of a person called a "Dutchman" in those days would have been
German rather than Netherlandish.  And I'd be willing to bet that the Krauts
in the US in and after 1917 began calling themselves "Dutchmen" at the time
that sauerkraut was rechristened "liberty cabbage" and the Germania Life
Insurance Co. on Park Ave South became the Guardian Life Insurance Co.

I first heard "dutchman" used in reference to the need for a wooden patch in
a door in which a mortise lock had been installed, removed, replaced with a
cylinder lock, and a mortise lock was to be installed again.  There was no
implication of previous bad work (For that matter, I don't see that it's
knocking a Low Landau to refer to the correction of a bad job by his/her
"name," either).

On the other hand, I was not thrilled recently to hear corrugated fasteners
referred to as "Jew nails," with the clear implication that these devices
were intended for use in a bad job.  Anybody else ever heard that one? I
won't rat you out to the DAL.

Ralph

Ralph