The phrase "dusting someone britches" is an idiom that means to give someone a spanking or a beating. The spelling of "britches" is based on its pronunciation, which is /ˈbrɪtʃəz/. The IPA phonetic transcription shows that the "b" is pronounced as /b/, the "ri" as /rɪ/, the "tch" as /tʃ/, and the "es" as /əz/. This word originated in the early 19th century and was commonly used in rural areas of the Southern United States. Today, it is mostly used colloquially or in literature.