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From: peter <peter@nowhereknown.com>
Subject: Re: "a little different" vs. "a little bit different"
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
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Date: 29 Aug 2013 23:39:04 GMT
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On Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:57:16 +0200, Jaakov wrote:
> Dear all:
>
> What is the difference between "a little different" and "a little bit
> different"
> in a phrase like "This code is a little [bit] different from the one
> found on page 4."
>
> Best regards
>
> Jaakov.
I think it might be a question of degree Jakov.
"A little different" has about it a feeling of "well it's different but
only a little different", signifies that the difference may not be so
much as to be of concern.
"A little bit different", strangely enough this might also be used by a
speaker to denote that there is a lot of difference but the speaker is
being polite or perhaps not being direct in stating his or her true
assessment of the difference. This might appear as, "well it is a little
bit different", with the emphasis on "is" and possibly also on "little"
it might signify that there is a lot of difference but the speaker is
being too polite to say so. As has been posted before, this is very
idiomatic and possibly even the sort of use that might appear in a
particular culture of English-speakers where being blunt is to be
avoided.
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