'In fact, you'll soon find out that three square meals a day is hardly scratching the surface - most kids seem to have an ever-open stomach.'

Nearly four in five of these people are landless and can hardly scratch a bare living.

I'm aware that this hardly scratches the surface.

The first explorers hardly scratched the surface- "Richard," Nicole said, interrupting her own thoughts.

I hardly scratched the surface.

She indulged in bouts of charity, though the orphanages and hospitals hardly scratched the surface of misery in the world.

I spent a year down there with my own transport (in addition to several previous shorter trips) and hardly scratched the surface.

Hardly scratched the buckyball cables, but it wrecked the spysat completely.

"It's hardly scratching the surface," he said.