NG 64

New game 64 is now available.


Round 1: P C M W E E O S L

I had COME, COMES, lamented that the Q was not an X for COMPLEXES, and COMPELS.

The other seven is CLEOMES (CLEOME being a type of plant).  The sixes are CLEOME, COMPEL, CLOMPS, ELOPES, CELOMS (CELOM being a variant spelling of COELOM: "the body cavity of a metazoan, as distinguished from the intestinal cavity"), and CLEPES (CLEPE being a very archaic verb meaning "to call; name").

My selection: COMPELS


Round 2: P I L M A T N E G

I had LIMP, MAIL, IMPLANT, PIGMENT, wondered about PIGMENTAL, MELTING, TAMPING, and then just a bit too late found PLEATING for eight.  That tipped the balance in favour of trying PIGMENTAL, and it is valid (listed under PIGMENTARY).

That's the only nine, not surprisingly.  The other eights are LIGAMENT / METALING (American spelling of METALLING; METAL as a verb: "to furnish or cover with metal") / TEGMINAL (adjective derived from TEGMEN: "a cover, covering, or integument") and EMPALING (EMPALE being a variant spelling of IMPALE).

My selection: PIGMENTAL


Round 3: Target 274 from 75 50 8 1 1 7

Making this as 275 - 1 is pretty clearly the goal, and I went with 274 = 7*50 - 75 - 1.

My selection: 274 = 7*50 - 75 - 1


Round 4: D N A T B I H S A

I had BAND, BANDIT, HABITS, BANDITS, and HATBANDS.

The other eight is TABANIDS (TABANID: "a large bloodsucking dipterous fly of the family Tabanidae, especially a horsefly").

The other sevens are HATBAND, TABANID, ABSTAIN, and ABSINTH (variant spelling of ABSINTHE).

My selection: HATBANDS


Round 5: S B R C U E O R A

I had CURBS, CURSE, OBSCURE, wondered about OBSCURER, CAROUSE, wondered about CAROUSER, and COURSER ("a swift horse").  I thought that CAROUSER was more likely to be an agent noun than OBSCURER, but OBSCURER gave a second bite at the cherry with the comparative form, so OBSCURER got the nod.  That turned out to be a fortunate choice; CAROUSER is not listed, and OBSCURER is (as the comparative form, not an agent noun).

OBSCURER is the only eight.  The other sevens are BRACERS, COARSER, SCOURER, ARBOURS, ARBORES (plural of ARBOR: "a tree (used chiefly in botanical names"), AROUSER, ACEROUS (alternative from of ACEROSE: "needle-shaped, as the leaves of a pine"), and CURARES (CURARE being any plant that produces the poisonous substance CURARE).

My selection: OBSCURER


Round 6: Target 244 from 100 75 9 10 5 3

The standard method suggests keeping the 9 and 3 aside to make the adjustment from 250.  Following that plan I first found 244 = 75*10 - 5*100 - (9 - 3) and then the simpler 244 = (100 - 75)*10 - (9 - 3).  (And just now I have seen what feels like the more obvious approach of 244 = 100 + (10/5)*75 - (9 - 3).)  Then I switched tacks slightly to get 244 = 3*75 + 10 + 9.

My selection: 244 = (100 - 75)*10 - (9 - 3)


Round 7: R R W D O E A S A

I had WORD, ROARED, ARROWED, and DRAWERS (correctly rejecting ROADWEAR along the way).  After time I noted REWARDS as another seven.

There is an eight here, ably found by Victor: AWARDERS.

The other sevens are AWARDER, REDRAWS / WARDERS, ADORERS, REWORDS, SEAWARD, and REDOWAS (REDOWA: "a Bohemian dance in two forms, the more common resembling the waltz or mazurka, the other resembling the polka").

My selection: DRAWERS.


Round 8: Target 731 from 25 75 10 10 7 9

With all the small numbers being at the upper edge of the range fine adjustments could be difficult, but in this case the target proves easy enough; I went with 731 = 75*10 - 10 - 9.

My selection: 731 = 75*10 - 10 - 9


Round 9: DESIRE MOM

My internet connection woes were particularly strong when I was creating this game, so I was tempted to use MODEM'S IRE. *wry smile*  At any rate, it took me fifteen seconds to spot the -ISED fragment and thus MEMORISED.

My selection: MEMORISED (15s)