My old dutch

Origin of: My old dutch

My old dutch

Affectionate British term for wife that has nothing to do with the Dutch because it is in fact a shortened form of duchess and the expression my old dutch dates from the late 19th century. Duchess has been a complimentary term for a woman since the 18th century, long before rhyming slang adopted the Duchess of Fife/wife association in the early 20th century.