Bit romantic partner on the way up after scratching bottom (3)
I believe the answer is:
tad
'bit' is the definition.
(both can mean a small amount)
'romantic partner on the way up after scratching bottom' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'ad' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tad that I've seen before include "Slight amount" , "Small amount or degree" , "little boy" , "Small bit" , "(A) bit, touch" .)