That little old county (7)

I believe the answer is:

rutland

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'county' is the definition.
(I know that Rutland is a ceremonial county of England)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rutland that I've seen before include "England's smallest county" , "Smallest English county" , "Tiny county" , "Bucks? Something of that ilk" , "East Midlands county" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.