NG 609

New game 609 is now available.

The re-run is episode 339; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: T A S E A N I F H

I had SEAT, ANTES, TISANE, FAINEST, ASTHENIA ("Pathology lack or loss of strength; debility"), and wondered about FANTASIE (not in the Macquarie, but it did show up in the Scrabble list).

ASTHENIA is the only eight.  The other sevens are STHENIA ("Pathology strength; excessive vital force") and TAHINAS (TAHINA being a variant form of TAHINI).

My selection: ASTHENIA


Round 2: U F C U H O P E D

I had OUCH, POUCH, and POUCHED.

POUCHED is the only seven, and the only six is DOUCHE.  The other fives are HOPED / EPHOD ("a kind of Hebrew priestly vestment, especially that worn by the high priest"), EPOCH, COPED, COUPE, and CHODE (variant spelling of CHOAD, a colloquial term for the penis).

My selection: POUCHED


Round 3: Target 832 from 25 2 9 1 1 4

I spent more time than I would have liked thinking about making this as 825 + 7 before I turned to the obvious factor of 8.  The target is 8*104, and 104 is 8*13, or 4*26.  Viewed that way, it is all rather simple: 832 = (9 - 1)*4*(25 + 1).

My selection: 832 = (9 - 1)*4*(25 + 1)


Round 4: S C A O T E L W S

I had COAST, CASTLE, CASTLES, LOCATES, and COATLESS.  I was helped here by yesterday's game, where I had to check up on COATERS (not valid); while doing so, I observed COATLESS at the end of the entry for COAT.

The other eight is LACTOSES.  The other sevens are LACTOSE / TALCOSE, CLOSEST / CLOSETS, SLOWEST, and SOLACES.

My selection: COATLESS


Round 5: O L N I R D G R O

I had LION, LORDING* (not valid under the show's rules, as LORD only has a verb sense listed as part of the phrase "lord it over someone"), and DROOLING.

Aside from the above, six is the best to be done.  The sixes are INDOOR, DRONGO, DOLING, and LOOING (LOO as a noun, in this sense, is "a game of cards in which forfeits are paid into a pool", and LOO as a verb is "to subject to a forfeit at loo") / OLINGO / LOGION ("a traditional saying or maxim, as of a religious teacher").

My selection: DROOLING


Round 6: Target 657 from 100 75 9 8 9 2

Applying the standard method, the offset is 18.  That works handily, although a tweak saves a number: 657 = 9*(75 - 2).

My selection: 657 = 9*(75 - 2)


Round 7: R O E K A C U S L

I had KERO, CROAK, CAROUSE, and CAROUSEL.

The other eight is CAULKERS.  The other sevens are CAULKER, CALKERS (CALKER being a variant spelling of CAULKER) / SLACKER / LACKERS (LACKER being a variant spelling of LACQUER), LOCKERS, ORACLES / COALERS (COALER: "a railway, ship, etc., used mainly to haul or supply coal") / SOLACER, SECULAR / RECUSAL / CESURAL (adjective derived from CESURA, variant spelling of CAESURA: "English Prosody a break, especially a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse, and marked in scansion by a double vertical line [...]"), CLOSURE / COLURES (COLURE: "either of two great circles of the celestial sphere intersecting each other at the poles, one passing through the equinoctial and the other through the solstitial points of the ecliptic"), OCULARS / OSCULAR ("relating to the mouth or kissing") / CAROLUS ("any of various coins issued under monarchs named Charles, especially an English gold coin struck in the reign of Charles I, originally worth 20 and later 23 shillings"), and ACEROUS (variant form of ACEROSE: "needle-shaped, as the leaves of the pine").

My selection: CAROUSEL


Round 8: Target 110 from 100 50 9 8 3 4

Lots of ways to proceed here.  I went with 110 = 100 + 50/(9 - 4).

My selection: 110 = 100 + 50/(9 - 4)


Round 9: DROPS TOFU

I chose this conundrum, so have no time to report.

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