It occurred to Chris a thousand times to ask, lead up to it in some subtle or not-so-subtle way, but he never did.
The gesture was a not-so-subtle way to validate his players' success.
"Maybe it's my not-so-subtle way of trying to get you out of your clothes."
Maybe it was the Fates' not-so-subtle way of reminding him that his future would be very different from his past.
The fear was that as use of these chemicals rose, people were being harmed in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
The chemistry has changed in some subtle, or maybe not-so-subtle, way.
That is, many journalists and their editors have allowed themselves to be controlled, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, by Hollywood for a long time.
A not-so-subtle way, Eve decided, to let Pepper know she was on the job.
"Is this your not-so-subtle way of telling me we're running thin?"
So the store has changed, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.