The "six" in the expression comes from the six feet that make up a fathom which is a little less than two meters.

VOA: special.2009.05.24

The "six" in the expression comes from the six feet that make up a fathom -- which is a little less than two meters.

VOA: special.2011.03.06

But I only wanted to make his dismissal a little less painful for him.

VOA: special.2011.03.26

He sold the milk for thirty dollars for a little less than four liters.

VOA: special.2009.02.11

This may be a little less purist than the normal view, but I think that it is more realistic."

VOA: standard.2009.11.17

"Is it calmer now? Are people a little less active than they were a few months ago or about a year ago?

VOA: standard.2010.06.15

"It's a little less than the administration and perhaps Speaker have said.

VOA: standard.2009.03.10

"It certainly seems, that the administration is trying to address issues of human rights a little less, to work more on economic issues, and other global issues such as climate change,".

VOA: standard.2009.11.10

There are all sorts of security problems. And then there are problems that we in the West would perhaps regard as a little less legitimate, like the simple desire of authoritarian governments to keep tabs on what their people are thinking and doing.

VOA: standard.2010.08.11

Ms.Gardiner said the delay between the arrival of the smell at each nostril could be as little as a half second or less.

VOA: special.2010.08.03

"My wife is a little bit less of a social media user than I am.

VOA: special.2009.09.14

There's a little bit less guesswork for me at this point.

VOA: special.2011.08.02

"All our brains shrink a little as we grow older, but in some people it shrinks more and some it shrinks less,"

VOA: standard.2009.12.30

"The one-time cost of our system which consists of a small solar panel, a little motorcycle-sized battery and a couple of LED lamps, is less than one hundred dollars,"

VOA: standard.2009.12.13