-130 Letter "b" should be Removed from the word "subtlety" since it doesn't get pronounced, amirite?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The subtlety of subtlety is there's a subtle b, in subtlety.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Such linguistic savagery! We start removing letters here and there because they're argued to be useless, and before long we're removing adjectives from the languages because they're "unnecessary", before long our language will be turned into Newspeak! Dangerous thinking! I'm just glad it was in a light-hearted amirite post than on some kind of official government paper!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That was excellent.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Tommy take it easy. Everybody here is expressing their opinion. No need to overreact like that.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

If you think it was a genuine overreaction then there are 2 problems 1) you didn't read the tone well (i identified "light-hearted amirite post) 2) Some of us need to be concerned to this level, otherwise the people who REALLY want to do this will get their foot in the door. School yourself in Orwellian literature and BE SCARED!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

If that's how you are reacting to a lighthearted post, then it is an overreaction.I feel sorry for you that this word caused such fury.nobody will get their foot in the door since they know amirite is not a place to implement new changes but rather a place where people express their opinions. If I to say that in a more government oriented environment your opinion would be of more relevance, otherwise its completely irrelevant.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The funniest thing about this conversation how seriously YOU'RE taking my response. Do you honestly think that I'm going to come on amirite and post in all seriousness like that? I save that kind of serious stuff for my essays and books. Jeez, get a clue! My reply just now was another chance for you to read the MASSIVELY joking tone. But if you actually need to have it spelled out for you, then here. I'M NOT BEING TOTALLY SERIOUS - IT WAS MEANT MORE AS A JOKE, WITH AN UNDERLYING TONE OF TRUTH. I DO BELIEVE THAT STUFF, BUT HERE IT IS MEANT FOR LIGHT AND JOKING CONSUMPTION. All clear now?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Was "Owait" inidicating that you know the real story behind the UK/US 'u' differences?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Lol tommy I was joking too I am not taking your response seriously you say what you think I say what I think. That's all. Get over it

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Don't lie, you were totally serious. Otherwise you're just bad at making jokes. I'd rather accidentally take something seriously than be a bad joke maker.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

This comment system is confusing. I wasn't talking to you when I made that comment, and now I'm wondering if you knew I wasn't talking to you and... well it's just confusing I'll leave it at that.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

And furthermore, join you in denouncing the OP as false! "joking" - suuuuure

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Like I said we will have to agree to disagree. Some of the things you said I took wrong i guess, but at the same time all I was trying to say that letter "b" looks like an extra letter.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Like the k at beginning of knight or knife? It's just a silent letter, where's the joke? Plus, in fact without the 'b' it becomes more akin to a "sootle" pronunciation, and would require an extra 't' to make the pronunciation more accessible. Stop trying to confuse people!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Nobody is confusing people :) it is indeed a silent letter. BUt i will repeat myself again, if you didn't understand: I think it sounds like an extra letter. With a knife word yes its the same, but i just find the letter "b" frustrating. Thats' all. Are you going to keep ranting or we are going to close this topic? I think everybody is through with their opinions.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No topic is EVER closed once I start on it. "If you didn't understand" - wow, that's really patronizing, thanks! What's not to understand? You don't get the function of certain letters, and you think we should savage them --- great! Pray tell what makes "b" so more inifinitely confusing than "k" - I wasn't aware of any cosmic differences.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Haha. Fine then its on! I will repeat again it to you: I DO GET THE FUNCTION OF CERTAIN LETTERS, THE ONLY REASON I SAID IT SHOULD BE REMOVED IS BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT WHEN I CAME ACROSS THAT WORD, IT FELT LIKE EXTRA TO ME, SO I DECIDED TO WRITE IT IN A LIGHT-HEARTED POST. there are no cosmic differences between "k" and "b" but to me b in the word subtlety appears to be more as an impediment to spelling rather than knife.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Why? It's not enough to keep telling me the thing I already know about what you think - why don't you try telling me WHY?!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I am telling you. b in subtlety comes across as more as an impediment than k in the knife. there is no difference, but at that moment I was frustrated with the spelling thats why i wrote it in this post. So lets just say my frustration with the spelling of specifically that word triggered that post.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

But all you're doing is just telling me what you think of something, and nothing about "why" - how can you defend your position if you don't even know why you think it? Surely all silent letters pose the same issue, since the fact that they're silent means there's no indication as to where they go in the word. I don't think it's possible for one to pose MORE of a problem, unless you bring frequency of use into it. I'd wager more people use knife more often and therefore would be more used to writing it. But then again, the human brain is capable of phenomenal information retention, so I can't imagine remembering one letter would pose SUCH difficulty.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No I did tell you why I think of it like that. What do I think: Read the post. Why: It comes across as an extra letter. Why again? I was frustrated with it. I am defending my position, but sadly you are not listening to my point. The human is capable of anything to be honest. The human memory only is quite a phenomenon. I am not denying that. I do not correlate the difficulty of saying that word with the fact that human brain isn't capable of information retention. All I was saying it felt extra to me. And you went all on and on, saying "now we are going to remove adjectives, and then some letters because they are useless. I wasn't trying to implement that opinion on all words with silent letters, but just that word only.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

First, "you find it an extra letter" is not answering why - since there are hundreds of examples of words with slient letters. The question is WHY should this one be singled out? Second, all major change starts with a single action. It is my opinion that such changes to the language will set a precedent for the kind of horrifying change outlined in Orwell's work.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

This particular word should be singled out because to me it felt like an extra letter. Basically I didn't feel comfortable with its spelling. And once again it will not set a precedent to a language. People say a lot of opinions, somebody thinks smoking is good, somebody does not, some countries legalise prostitution, some do not. Do you think their actions were triggered by a single action? and plus you can be happy your point is strongly supported here, so no "changes to the language" will happen haha.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Of course a series of actions start with a single one. How else would it happen? And still you fail to explain why, and I mean objectively why, should the word subtlety be singled out so? Even one's subjective view should be rooted in an at least perceived objective truth. Don't be so naive. The single action sets a precedent, which others use as the reason to make OTHER changes. And before long it cascades and snowballs. I am merely being vigilant in defence of the language from potential tyrants and totalitarians. If you think it's not a real danger, then you're a fool.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh my god, I do think its a real danger! I should fear that my opinion will set a huge precedent to the whole English language! pfft

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Who's talking about your opinion? I'm talking about the way of thinking. This manner of thinking is dangerous. That's what I said in the first post. Go back up and take a look! And if your opinion perpetuates it, then it is part of the danger.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That's the point. You go back up and read what I said. I told you: you can be happy because a lot of people agreed with you, so the WAY OF THINKING is not flawed. I would see a danger in the way of thinking if people would be agreeing more with me. Get it?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No, the fact that people HERE agree is no sign that everyone everywhere would. And as Orwell teaches us, the multitudes are often powerless even against a minority, if that minority wields the right amount of power. You are naive if you think what the majority think now can stop what a powerful minority wants later. The way of thinking IS dangerous, period. It only takes a small number of powerful people to agree with you and it will happen.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

well then again i wish you good luck for letting not this to happen. haha

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Is that a cop-out I detect?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Not at all.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh it was. It's ok you can admit it.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It is not a cop out. Lets say I had an epiphany that we are very obstinate about each other's opinions. And I want to end this discussion since this is getting tiring.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I'm not tired. but if you want to give up that's fine. I accept your surrender. I don't think I'm being obstinate, I think you have yet to address any of the points that I made. You just keep trying to introduce new elements to distract, but in fact you have yet to even explain your initial point properly

by Anonymous 11 years ago

you are not tired because in Beijing its 10 am. I am not giving up, I am just acting upon a maturity and saying: that's ok you and I have different opinions. Its like you talking in english and i am speaking in french. We are never going to understand each other. I have explained my point properly, but you have failed to understand me.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

We can do this in French, Latin or Chinese I don't mind. And you haven't explained. I explained why you didn't explain, but you brushed it aside. If you would care to scroll up and answer my points properly, I'd appreciate it.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

How do you know I'm not really tired? I might have been up all night missing my boyfriend who just moved to Antibes, and now also have to sit here in a crappy copywriting job in a polluted totalitarian city. That would make someone pretty tired.

by Anonymous 11 years ago