NG 633

New game 633 is now available.


Round 1: C G T W O S A A O

I had COST, COAST / COATS / ASCOT (not valid, a little to my surprise, although I must have come across that before), and GOATS / TOGAS.

There is a six to be had here, although it did not show up in my word list -- I stumbled across it while checking other potential answers.  It is COOTAS, as COOTA is a term for a barracouta (not to be confused with a barracuda).

The other fives are COOTA, COOTS / SCOOT, TACOS / COSTA ("a rib or riblike part"), and TAWAS (TAWA being a type of New Zealand tree).

My selection: COAST
Best: COOTAS


Round 2: S E T A M P N B O

I had SEAT, TEAMS, STAMP, wanted a final E for BASEMENT but was disappointed, AMBONES (one plural of AMBO: "(in early Christian churches) one of the two raised desks from which gospels and epistles were read or chanted"), POSTMAN, POSTMEN, and BEMOANS.  After time I checked up on BOATMEN, and found that it was valid.

The other sevens are BATSMEN, TAMPONS, ENTOMBS, and SPAMBOT.

My selection: POSTMAN


Round 3: Target 147 from 3 9 8 2 3 2

The target is 3*49, which is 3*7*7.  That gave me my first solution of 147 = 3*(9 - 2)*(8 + 2 - 3).  Then I saved a number with 147 = 3*(8*(3 + 2) + 9), and then saved another number by not focusing on that factorisation: 147 = 2*8*9 + 3.

My selection: 147 = 2*8*9 + 3


Round 4: D S D L E N U I M

I had SLED, LENDS, SUDDEN, MIDDLES, MIDDENS, and MUDSLIDE.

MUDSLIDE is the only eight.  The other sevens are MUDDLES, MUDDIES, MILDENS, and SLIDDEN.

My selection: MUDSLIDE


Round 5: A C L K O L P U I

I had LACK, CLOAK, LOCAL, wondered about POLLACK (I was only familiar with it as a derogatory term for someone from Poland, which seems like it would be proper; however, it also turns out to be a type of fish), and CUPOLA ("a rounded vault or dome constituting, or built upon a roof") / COPULA ("something that connects or links together").

The other seven here is PILLOCK.  Oh, I wish I'd seen that (well done, Mike!).  The other sixes are LOCKUP, CALLOP (another name for the golden perch), and LOCULI (plural of LOCULUS: "Botany, Zoology, Anatomy a small compartment or chamber; a cell").

My selection: CUPOLA
Best: PILLOCK


Round 6: Target 125 from 100 75 25 3 7 7

Well, the obvious method is 125 = 100 + 25, but that's boring so I went looking for something more complicated.  I ended up finding 125 = ((7 + 3)*75 + 100 + 25) / 7, but it was rather contrived.

My selection: 125 = 100 + 25


Round 7: E T A N H F U I G

I had NEAT, THANE ("English History a member of any of several classes of men in Anglo-Saxon England, ranking between earls and ordinary freemen and holding lands of the king or lord by military service"), HAUNT, AUNTIE, and HEATING.

The other sevens are FATIGUE, HEFTING, HAFTING, and GAHNITE (a mineral).

My selection: HEATING


Round 8: Target 838 from 25 50 7 3 4 5

Gah, I had troubles with this.  The target is vaguely near 875, and I turned that into one away with 837 = 5*7*25 - 50 + 3*4.

The obvious goal is to make the target as 850 - 12, with the 12 being either 3*4 or 5 + 7.  Thinking carefully about that, with tweaking in mind, might lead one to either of two solutions: 838 = (5*25 - 3)*4 + 7*50 and 838 = ((7 + 5)*25 - 4)*3 - 50.  There is one other solution: 838 = (50 - 7)*4*5 - 25 + 3.

My selection: 837 = 5*7*25 - 50 + 3*4


Round 9: SLAVE SAGA

I chose this conundrum after being presented with the similar (but not listed) AASVOGELS (AASVOGEL being a type of vulture).

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