Crossword Genius

Firebird's fee? Nothing they say! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

phoenix

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'firebird's' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'fee? nothing they say' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'nothing' could be 'nix' (nix can mean nothing) and 'nix' is found in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for phoenix that I've seen before include "Legendary bird -- Arizona city" , "Arizona city (that rose from the ashes?)" , "capital in America" , "Firebird" , "Fabled bird" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.