quicksilver vs subtle

quicksilver

adj
  • Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial. 

noun
  • The metal mercury. 

  • An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering. 

verb
  • To overlay with quicksilver. 

  • To treat with quicksilver. 

subtle

adj
  • Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency. 

  • Barely noticeable, not obvious, indistinct. 

  • Cleverly contrived. 

  • Cunning, skillful. 

  • Insidious. 

  • Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood. 

How often have the words quicksilver and subtle occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )