Lithion ought to be a word, a convenient portmanteau for talking about the batteries that run the world.

Do you play Spelling Bee from the New York Times? I do most days. But if you don’t, I wouldn’t recommend starting, because I read on the Internet that President Musk is allowed to take your child’s college savings account if you sign up for anything connected to NYT. The reasoning is that if you voluntarily choose such a media outlet in your house, another college education in your family would Harm the Nation.

Anyway, Spelling Bee. Often there are not-quite words that pop into my head. I often go ahead and play them. I furtively hope there’s some witty intern who gets a database report each day of all the failed tries and is delighted by my cleverness. Today’s puzzle has more than usual…

An ironolith is the medical term for a kidney stone that makes itself known – ironically – on the day before your honeymoon.

Thrillion is the top of the excitement scale. “On a scale of one to a thrillion, how great was bungy jumping with sharks?”

Nihilit is the genre of books that Musk‘s Minions would read if they weren’t so busy emptying your child’s college funds.