Why don’t we pronounce the letter b in the word subtle? The word derives ultimately from Latin subtilis, meaning “fine, delicate,” and was adopted into Middle English from Old French as sotil. The b was later added back in so that...
The word climb has been sneaking by with that silent b for a while. But speakers of Old English pronounced the b in its predecessor, climban. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Words With Silent B” Hello, you have A Way...
schmiddie n.— «Half the pubs in Brisbane these days don’t seem to sell them, instead forcing the hapless toper into a choice between a whopping great pint or something resembling a small glass thimble with a handle on it. Either that or...