NG 644

New game 644 is now available.


Round 1: Z D S E H E L E A

I had ZEDS, SHED, HEEDS, HEALED, and LEASHED.

LEASHED is the only seven.  The other sixes are SEALED / LEASED, LASHED, HEELED, SLEAZE, HAZELS, and SEELED (SEEL: "Falconry to close (the eyes of a hawk), especially by sewing up the lids, in order to make it responsive to training").

Update: SLEAZED* is another seven under the revised rules, as the phrase SLEAZE ONTO is listed.

My selection: LEASHED


Round 2: U T I F H D S A W

I had THUD, SHIFT, WATUSI, and FAITHS.  After time I noted another six of AUDITS.

Six is indeed the best to be done, with the others being WIDTHS, HIATUS, and SHADUF (variant spelling of SHADOOF: "a contrivance used in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries for raiding water, especially for irrigation, consisting of a long suspended rod with a bucket at one end and a weight at the other").

My selection: WATUSI


Round 3: Target 399 from 100 75 25 2 5 10

The factorisation 7*57 seemed hard to use, and I struggled to get an answer.  But I managed to get there, by working up from 375 with 399 = 5*75 + 2*10 + 100/25.

My selection: 399 = 5*75 + 2*10 + 100/25


Round 4: E K R A I C N E M

I had RAKE, CRAKE (a type of bird), NICKER, CANKER, wondered about RACEMEN (not valid), and CARMINE.  After time I noted MENACER as another seven.

ICE-MAKER is listed but only with the hyphen, so seven is the limit.  The others are KERAMIC (unusual variant spelling of CERAMIC) and RAMEKIN / MANKIER*.

My selection: CARMINE


Round 5: T A A M R C B N E

I had TRAM, BRACT ("a specialised leaf or leaf-like part, usually situated at the base of a flower or inflorescence"), CANTER, BANTER, and CAMERA.  After time I noted other sixes of BARMAN and NECTAR, and then saw the sevens of ABREACT ("to experience an abreaction") / CABARET.  I also checked up on CARTMAN (and CARTMEN), but it is not listed.

The other seven is the lovely MACABRE, but there is even an eight to be had here: CRABMEAT.

My selection: CANTER
Best: CRABMEAT


Round 6: Target 700 from 100 50 75 1 10 9

Oh, I overcomplicated this one greatly.  Obviously my first instinct was to make a 7, and it turned out that I could, giving 700 = (9*50/75 + 1)*100.  Then I considered the option of 14*50 and found another solution of 700 = (100 - 75 - 10 - 1)*50.  Finally I turned to the factorisation 4*175 to get 700 = (50/10 - 1)*(100 + 75).

Only somewhat after time did I look back and see 700 = 10*75 - 50.  Oh, dear.

My selection: 700 = (9*50/75 + 1)*100


Round 7: G T I R T U O D N

I had GIRT, GROUT, OUTRIG, TOURING, TUTORING, wondered about OUTGRIND (not valid), DOTTING, and ROTTING.  After time I noted ROUTING as another seven, and confirmed that TROUTING was not valid.

The other sevens are RUTTING and TOUTING.

My selection: TUTORING


Round 8: Target 344 from 50 100 25 5 6 4

Applying the standard method to make this 350 - 6 is clearly tempting, and gave me 344 = 5*50 + 100 - 6 and 344 = 4*100 - 50 - 6 reasonably quickly.  I then considered the factorisation 4*86 and so found another solution of 344 = (50 + 25 + 5 + 6)*4.

My selection: 344 = 5*50 + 100 - 6


Round 9: DEFERS OPS

Chosen yet again.  The S's like to go together, and -ED cuts down on the options.

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