subtle

1、b 是个哑巴：subtle 读 /ˈsʌt.əl/，看着有 b、嘴里没 b。同类三件：comb（梳子）、doubt（怀疑）、lamb（羔羊），先把这四个词一起过一遍，以后见到"中间 b"就条件反射不发音。
2、它原本形容"织得极细的布"：芯子和 textile（纺织品）同一条根（拉丁 tela「网、布」）。线织得越细越"微妙"，所以 subtle 指细微差别、不好抓的东西。
3、辨析：delicate（娇贵、要小心伺候）、fine（细小得不明显）、subtle（别人看不出、你能看出）。名词 subtlety（微妙之处）。拼写 sub + tle，中间别多加 a，也别写成 subtle 的"subtlely"。

subtle 微妙的，巧妙的，敏锐的

来自古法语 subtil,来自拉丁语 subtilis,精细的，精致的，来自 sub,向下，在下，-tilis,网的， 来自 tela,网，词源同 toilet,toiletry.其字面意思可能是网中网，因此要求更巧妙的编织技术， 引申诸相关词义。

subtle

subtle: [14] Latin subtīlis, the ultimate source of English subtle, seems to have originated as a weaving term. It probably goes back ultimately to the phrase sub tēla ‘beneath the lengthwise threads in a loom’ (tēla, source of English toilet and toils, was a contraction of *texla, a relative of English textile). As this was lexicalized via *subtēlis to subtīlis, it developed the meaning ‘finely woven’, which subsequently broadened out to ‘fine, thin’. By the time it reached English, via Old French sutil, it had evolved further, to ‘making fine discriminations’.
=> textile, toilet

subtle (adj.)

c. 1300 (mid-13c. as a surname), sotil, "penetrating; ingenious; refined" (of the mind); "sophisticated, intricate, abstruse" (of arguments), from Old French sotil, soutil, subtil "adept, adroit; cunning, wise; detailed; well-crafted" (12c., Modern French subtil), from Latin subtilis "fine, thin, delicate, finely woven;" figuratively "precise, exact, accurate," in taste or judgment, "fine, keen," of style, "plain, simple, direct," from sub "under" (see sub-) + -tilis, from tela "web, net, warp of a fabric" (see texture (n.)).

From early 14c. in reference to things, "of thin consistency;" in reference to craftsmen, "cunning, skilled, clever;" Depreciative sense "insidious, treacherously cunning; deceitful" is from mid-14c. Material senses of "not dense or viscous, light; pure; delicate, thin, slender; fine, consisting of small particles" are from late 14c. sotil wares were goods sold in powdered form or finely ground. Partially re-Latinized in spelling, and also by confusion with subtile.

1. I even began to exploit him in subtle ways.

我甚至开始巧妙地利用他。

2. Some of the designs are subtle, some gloriously OTT.

有些设计含蓄精妙，有些夸张绚丽。

3. The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail.

从公然威吓到微妙的情感胁迫，各种战术都用上了。

4. Young haricot beans have a tender texture and a delicate, subtle flavour.

嫩菜豆口感细腻，味道清香、淡雅。

5. He is a subtle character, you know.

你知道他为人狡猾。

【delicate, fine, subtle】
这组词都有“微妙的，细微的”的意思，其区别是：
delicate: 侧重指需要谨慎处理和对待。
fine: 隐含“不易察觉的”意味。
subtle: 侧重有洞察、领悟事物细微差别以及微妙关系的能力。