Mar 27, 2018 18:20
6 yrs ago
English term

subtly

English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Hi, I’m not sure about the meaning of “subtly” towards the end of the passage below: is it used in the sense of “skilfully” or “without being seen” (or neither of them…)
Thank you for your help!




Tina began by asking Alanah to do something each night just before she fell asleep. Tina told her, "When you are getting sleepy and your eyelids are getting heavy and your body is starting to feel relaxed, I want you to put one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Try it right now and notice how calming and soothing it feels. That's what I want you to do each night right before going to sleep."
Within weeks, Tina began to observe that when Alanah would put her hands on her chest and her stomach, she immediately and automatically took a long deep breath. Then her muscle tone would soften, and her body would noticeably move into a relaxed state.
Alanah immediately understood how the experience of being calm before sleep would become related, in her brain, with the experience of putting her hands on her body in the same pattern.
The next step, then, was to use it when she felt anxious. Tina explained that everywhere Alanah went, she carried these amazing tools with her—her hands. And she could use them whenever she began to feel fear, anxiety, and panic. At school, at home, or wherever, she could just ** subtly ** move her hands to her chest and belly and create that state of balance and relaxation anytime she needed it.
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): Tony M

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Discussion

haribert (asker) Mar 28, 2018:
Sarah, thank you so much for your help! Don't worry: I think I'm overthinking too! (sometimes the word "subtle" is a bit difficult to translate as it is, but now I think I've understood the concept better thanks to your help!)
Have a nice afternoon!
Sarah Lewis-Morgan Mar 28, 2018:
I think "artlessly" is actually implying that she is not trying to deceive anyone, which is putting too much meaning into it. "naturally" is possible, but perhaps loses the actual subtlety of the action, because there is no suggestion of the action being anything but open. Maybe I'm overthinking this now!
haribert (asker) Mar 28, 2018:
Thank you Tony for your really interesting contribution!
Maybe a possible solution, although a little bit distant from the source, could be “naturalness”, “artlessness”, in the sense that she does it so spontaneously and naturally that it doesn’t draw attention…
Tony M Mar 27, 2018:
@ Asker I think there is a nuance of meaning to 'discreetly' that is not there in 'subtly' — though let it be noted that others clearly don't share my view!
I believe 'subtly' simply means 'almost imperceptibly', 'unostentatiously', etc., as the answerers below have said; but with no deliberate intention to actual conceal it.
I think 'discreetly', on the other hand, tends to imply at least a degree of deliberate desire to conceal. I think the idea here is very much that she shouldn't feel she has to hide it, but can do it in a way that doesn't draw attention to herself, as Robert has said.
haribert (asker) Mar 27, 2018:
Sarah, thank you!
Sarah Lewis-Morgan Mar 27, 2018:
Yes, I'd go along with that, too. I just don't think "skilfully" is the right interpretation.
haribert (asker) Mar 27, 2018:
First of all, I'd like to thank all of you it might mean "discreetly", perhaps...

Responses

+7
6 mins
Selected

Without being seen

She has practised the technique of calming herself with help, but now she can use it at school, where there are other people around, without it being noticed that she is doing it.
Note from asker:
Thank you very much Sarah, and Phil, as well!
Peer comment(s):

agree philgoddard : Yes, and it also has connotations of gently, not making a big song and dance about it.
1 min
Thank you.
agree B D Finch : I think "subtly" means that there is a deliberateness to not being seen.
35 mins
Thank you.
agree Robert Forstag : “Without drawing attention to herself” is how I would put it, but this is close enough.
53 mins
Yes, I agree with that!
agree Jack Doughty
1 hr
Thank you.
neutral Tony M : I think Robert has hit the nail on the head: it's not really about whether or not she is actually seen, but rather, the intention of doing it in a way that will not draw undue attention.
1 hr
agree JaneTranslates : Agree with Sarah's explanation, and with Robert & Tony.
1 hr
Thank you
neutral AllegroTrans : agree with Tony M
14 hrs
agree Lingua 5B
15 hrs
Thank you.
agree Ashutosh Mitra
15 hrs
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much, Sarah, for your help! Many thanks also to all other contributors for their useful suggestions! Happy Easter!"
+2
13 mins

barely noticeable

I wonder if it's really unseen, sounds a bit unrealistic to me
Peer comment(s):

agree AllegroTrans : I think this is better than unseen
19 mins
agree Tony M
28 mins
neutral B D Finch : I think it's more like: in such a way as not to be noticed.
29 mins
Something went wrong...
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