If loose lips sink ships, what do departing editors do? Activate nuclear warheads? The Hollywood Reporter will soon find out, given yesterday's pair of high-profile departures to the competition.

THR editor Cynthia Littleton and deputy film editor Anne Thompson have taken off for new roles at Variety, as Nikki Finke was first to report; Littleton is deputy editor for news development and Thompson is Variety.com deputy editor.

I hear Littleton is taking the marquee role as a new Variety columnist and will be expected to break news. Thompson is switching her re-branded movie column and online blog — mostly profiles and pick-ups notoriously soft on the industry — from HR to Variety.

All of which says, to anyone with the slightest knowledge of trade warfare, that The Hollywood Reporter is slip-sliding away, once and for all. At least until THR gets mouthpiece Deborah Patton into action and spins this whole mess into one of a bright future. (Hey, if Time can do it …) Though if the past tells us anything, we're not going to see much wisdom there.