"Means: the same amount. Six in one hand, half dozen (6) in the other hand. I.E Equal amount."
As the question asks where does the phrase come from the provider of this answer misses the mark twice.
I don't actually know the origin but it certainly isn't recent.
The phrase is used as a title of a story in Harper's New Monthly Magazine's Dec. 1883 to May 1884 issue, page 765.
It can also be found in the book "The Comic Latin Grammar", 2nd ed., copyright 1840.
Nouns have six cases in each number [singular and plural], (that is, six of one and half a dozen of the other) but can only be put in one of them at a time.
In this case the author really is using it to mean six of one and six of another. I suspect that his lack of quotes around it implies that it is in fairly common usage.
6/18
"Half a dozen = 6. So "six" and "half a dozen" are two ways of saying the same thing. The expression means that there is no important difference between the alternatives, or the differences offset one another so the net result is the same. For example, I say to my husband, "Should I take Highway 101 or Highway 280?" and he replies, "It's six of one and a half dozen of the other." He means that I'll get there in about the same amount of time whether I take one road or the other." The phrase, "Six to one, half a dozen to the other." is a UK variation of the phrase. This person's answer says much but conveys little. "Six of one, half a dozen of the other" is a reply to a question that solicits an evaluation between two choices. The person giving the reply is effectively saying "there is no difference between these two choices".
"Six of one, a half dozen of the other" means no matter how you say it, the answer is the same.
Since a half dozen is six, it means the each side or direction is equal to the other.
1 dozen = 12 half a dozen = 6
6/18
"Half a dozen = 6. So "six" and "half a dozen" are two ways of saying the same thing. The expression means that there is no important difference between the alternatives, or the differences offset one another so the net result is the same. For example, I say to my husband, "Should I take Highway 101 or Highway 280?" and he replies, "It's six of one and a half dozen of the other." He means that I'll get there in about the same amount of time whether I take one road or the other." The phrase, "Six to one, half a dozen to the other." is a UK variation of the phrase. This person's answer says much but conveys little. "Six of one, half a dozen of the other" is a reply to a question that solicits an evaluation between two choices. The person giving the reply is effectively saying "there is no difference between these two choices".
half a dozen is 6, so half a dozen dozen is 6 dozen, but the first thing, six dozen dozen has is 6x12x12or 6x144, so it is way more than 6x12.. In other words Six dozen dozen is 864 and half a dozen dozen is 72
6 of one half a dozen of the other, or it is the same thing with two ways of saying it
"Six of one, a half dozen of the other" means no matter how you say it, the answer is the same.
eggs roses
A carton of half a dozen eggs
Since a half dozen is six, it means the each side or direction is equal to the other.
A carton of half a dozen eggs
Basically, when someone says "Six of one, half dozen of another" they are saying that the two things they are comparing are the the same thing. They use this because: 1 Dozen = 12 1/2 dozen = 6 6 = 6 So, 1 half dozen and 6 are the same thing.
half a dozen
A dozen is twelve, half a dozen is 6.