There I was minding my own business doing the Strands puzzle on the New York Times Games app a couple of weeks ago when I thought there must be some kind of mistake.

The routine, for those of you wondering: Shortly after I wake up I do a couple of MLB games, then the Mini Crossword (which takes less than a minute), the Wordle (a couple of minutes on a good day), then Connections (regular and sports, both taking a few minutes).

I usually do the Immaculate Grid and Crossword while I eat breakfast, and then later in the morning Strands and the Spelling Bee.

So there I was, mid-morning, minding my own business and doing my Strands, when I thought there must be some mistake.

As you see pictured, the main category was ‘Stingers,’ with “Ouch” as the hint.

The search words are what you’d expect - bee, thorn, scorpion, jellyfish. Yes, all stingy.

The last word, though, threw me. Platypus.

PLATYPUS?

As in “duck-billed”?

Are you sure, Strands?

As it turns out, yes.

The male platypus has venomous stingers on the heels of its hind feet.

It is one of the few venomous mammals in the world.

I had no idea.

Maybe you did.

Maybe you didn’t.

But now we do, and that’s what 2025 is all about, Charlie Brown.