NG 581

New game 581 is now available.

The re-run is episode 309; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: B O M E H S D I T

I had HOME, HOMES, MOSHED, HOISTED, BOTHIES (BOTHY: "Scottish a hut or small cottage, especially for lodging farmhands or workers"), HOMIEST, and HOTBEDS.  After time I noted another seven of METHODS.

The other sevens are SMITHED, MODISTE ("a maker of or dealer in articles of fashionable attire, especially women's dresses, millinery, etc."), and ETHMOID (a type of bone).  And, of course, that means that ETHMOIDS is good for eight.

My selection: HOISTED
Best: ETHMOIDS


Round 2: U I M O L E T R H

I had OLEUM (another name for "fuming sulfuric acid"), THORIUM, an uncertain MOULTER (valid), another uncertain MOUTHIER (valid), and was also uncertain about MOUTHER (not valid).  Fortunately I jumped the right way, chancing the eight.

MOUTHIER is the only eight.  The other sevens are TURMOIL, OUTLIER, MOTHIER, LUTHIER ("a maker of lutes [...]"), UROLITH (a bladder stone), and MOTLIER*.

My selection: MOUTHIER


Round 3: Target 927 from 100 50 4 3 10 10

I jumped the wrong way at first, trying to work down from 1000.  It took a little bit of effort to turn that into one off with 926 = 10*(100 - 3) - 50 + 10 - 4.  That seemed pretty reasonable, actually, but then I saw the factorisation 9*103 and so found a solution: 927 = (50/10 + 4)*(100 + 3).

That's essentially the only solution -- there are two other obfuscatory variations of that idea, but they contribute nothing new over that presentation.

My selection: 927 = (50/10 + 4)*(100 + 3)


Round 4: C O I R K E E F S

I had ROCK, OCKER, FORCE, FORCES, CERISE, FIERCE, and rightly rejected ROCKIES.

Six is the limit here; the others are SICKER, CREEKS, FRESCO, FROCKS, OCKERS, SOIREE, COSIER, FICOES (plural of FICO: "the merest trifle"), and KIORES (KIORE being another name for the Polynesian rat).

My selection: FORCES


Round 5: A A J C A N I P N

Oh, if only one of those A's had been an O for JAPONICA.  Oh, well.  I had PANIC and JAPAN (JAPAN as a verb: "to coat with any material which gives a hard, black gloss").

There is a six lurking in this mix: JACANA (a type of bird).  The other fives are NINJA, APIAN ("of or relating to bees"), PINNA ("a feather, wing, or winglike part"), and CANNA (a type of plant).

My selection: PANIC
Best: JACANA


Round 6: Target 259 from 100 25 5 7 10 8

I recognised the target immediately as 7*37, and then lamented that the obvious way to make the 37 (as 25 + 5 + 7) was no longer feasible.  But a little playing around gave me an alternative option, since 37 is 4*8 + 5; the resulting solution was 259 = ((100/25)*8 + 5)*7.  Switching tacks, I considered the option of 10*25 + 9, and although the route to the 9 is not exactly obvious it can be done.  I was happy to spot it, anyway: 259 = 10*25 + (100 + 8) / (7 + 5).

Seen while writing this up is another option: 259 = 100 + 7*25 - 8*10/5.

My selection: 259 = ((100/25)*8 + 5)*7


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

I had ODES, NEEDS, DENOTES, was disappointed at the choice of a final vowel as both CONSENTED and CONTESTED were potentially there (on the other hand, an A for ANECDOTES would have been very pleasing), SECONDE (a fencing position), and DOCENTS (DOCENT: "a guide, as in a zoo, museum, etc., often a volunteer with some training").

The other sevens are SCENTED / DESCENT, ENCODES, and CESTODE (any member of a certain class of worms).  But the eight to be had is SECONDEE ("a person who is seconded to a position, post, etc."; here the verb sense of SECOND is "to transfer (a military officer or other) temporarily to a post, organisation, or responsibility").

My selection: DENOTES
Best: SECONDEE


Round 8: Target 294 from 100 9 2 6 3 1

A straightforward one: 294 = 3*100 - 6.

My selection: 294 = 3*100 - 6


Round 9: ROYAL MINT

My selection: [N/A -- chosen]
Best: NORMALITY