NG 62

New game 62 is now up.


Round 1: F N N N O I T R U

That triple N is a bit of a problem.  I had UNION, FOUNT, FRUIT, and UNFIT -- just could not better five, although I noted that having an E instead of one of those N's would yield NEUTRINO.  Not that that is much use unless we switch to touchdown rules, of course.

There are some sixes, though: UNTORN and INTURN.

But the surprise package in this selection is the eight of TRUNNION: "either of the two cylindrical projections on a cannon, one on each side, which support it on its carriage".

My selection: UNION


Round 2: S B S L U A I E R

I had SUBS, SAILS, was not sure about ISSUABLE, BURIALS, and wondered about BRALESS.  I ended up chancing ISSUABLE, and that was the right option.

The other eight here is AIRBUSES.  Some sources would allow RAILBUSES for nine, but the Macquarie does not know of RAILBUS so eight is the limit.

There's quite a few other sevens: BRAISES / BRASSIE (a type of golf club), BRUISES, ABSEILS, BAILERS, SERIALS / AIRLESS / RESAILS / SAILERS (SAILER: "a vessel propelled by a sail or sails"), ABUSERS / SURBASE ("a moulding above a base, as that immediately above a skirting board, the crowning moulding of a pedestal, etc."), and SAURIES (plural of SAURY, a type of fish).

My selection: ISSUABLE


Round 3: Target 900 from 25 100 9 7 4 2

A disappointing numbers round; I was not tempted to look past 900 = 9*100.

My selection: 900 = 9*100


Round 4: R T L L E A E C T

I had TELL, TALLER, CARTEL, and TREACLE.  Just a bit too late to claim I saw CELLARET, but I was not certain about it in any case.  After time I noted CLATTER as another seven.

Not seeing CELLARET within time was a good thing, as the Macquarie does not list it.  In fact, the only reason I thought of it was that it had come up recently, in NG 15.  Victor found it that time but did not risk it, which was a good choice.

Those are the only sevens listed, and there are many sixes.

My selection: TREACLE


Round 5: H M T R A A E R T

This was close to a couple of nines (AFTERMATH, TETRAGRAM) but not quite.  I had MATH, TRAM, HARAM ("forbidden by Islamic law"; it had come up recently in a crossword, so was fresh in my memory), MATTER, and THREAT.

Six turns out to be the best possible.  There was the potential seven of TARTARE, but it only appears as part of the terms TARTARE SAUCE or STEAK TARTARE, not on its own.

The other sixes are TARTAR, ERRATA, RATTER / TARTER, HATTER, RATHER, HARMER, and HAMATE ("hook-shaped").

My selection: THREAT


Round 6: Target 994 from 50 100 25 7 8 10

Getting close is easy, and making the required offset of 6 from the rest was not that hard, giving me the solution 994 = 10*100 - 8 + 50/25.  Then I noticed the factor of 7 and found the alternative solution 994 = 7*(100 + 50 - 8).

My selection: 994 = 7*(100 + 50 - 8)


Round 7: D D C T E I O S I

I had CITED, CESTOID ("(of worms) ribbonlike"; I mentioned this in NG 32, although I was not certain that I had remembered correctly), an uncertain DICIEST (not valid, as it turns out), speculated about OTICISED (also not valid), then ODDEST and TODDIES (plural of TODDY: "a drink made of spirits and hot water, sweetened and sometimes spiced with cloves") as (finally!) a safe seven.

After time I noted DEISTIC as the safe anagram of DICIEST.

There is an eight here: ODDITIES, and I'm a bit disappointed about seeing ODDEST but missing this.  It would certainly have been a satisfying find!

The other sevens are IODIDES / IODISED, COEDITS, and DISCOID ("having the form of a discus or disc; flat and circular").

My selection: TODDIES


Round 8: Target 870 from 75 50 100 2 6 3

I noticed that the target was near one of my favourite intermediates of 875, and used that for a one-away 869 = (3 + 2)*(100 + 75) - 6.  Then I tweaked my way down from 900 for the solution 870 = 6*(100 + 50 - 3 - 2).

My selection: 870 = 6*(100 + 50 - 3 - 2)


Round 9: BALSA SEAM

I almost buzzed in twice with wrong answers, but managed to stop myself before trying BLAMELESS or ASSEMBLE.  Consideration of the -ABLE fragment led me to AMASSABLE, and I spent a few seconds deciding if I felt it was right or not.  I decided that nothing was likely to be better, and it turned out to be correct.

My selection: AMASSABLE (13.5s)