the criterion of separation in the English/Dutch analogy

I believe you'll find it stems fro the time of fierce colonial and seafaring competition: 'dutch' is synonymous in many English phrases with the bad, the ugly, and the generally undesirable. Strange how we often hate what we are most like...

And yes, to mitch off school is the currency here, though from my Kent schooldays it was always skive. I'm not at all sure how mitch is spelled!