So THAT'S where "bite the wax tadpole" came from. I figured out the general meaning of that quite some time ago (It is pretty obvious, after all), but I did not know where that originated until now.

As for your "subtleties" trouble, your not alone. I have a similar problem with the word "weird". It just never looks correct to me. (And yes, I am amused by the fact that "weird" looks weird...)