There comes a time when someone or something simply 'rubs you the wrong way', and that's just how tricky the NYT Mini Crossword Puzzle is – or rather, just one of the clues featured in the game.
NYT Connections, Mini Crossword and Strands | Aug 8, 2024
This annoying clue surfaced on August 8, and considering how many four-letter words this answer could contain, it certainly lives up to its annoying namesake.
The answer to the clue "Rubs the wrong way" is "IRKS". Irks is the verb form of irk, a noun that means to be irritated or annoyed by something or someone. While irks is a good word, I prefer to use something like vex and bother. They feel like they have a little more "oomph" than "being interested".
I didn't find this clue too difficult, but that's because I use the word irk and its synonyms a lot. It's definitely an uncommon word, which is why phrases like rubs the wrong way are more common and used a lot more. Still, I'd give it a three out of five for difficulty because of its rarity.
