NG 646

New game 646 is now available.


Round 1: I N R L O A O C H

I had LION, CLARION, and CHORION ("the outermost of the extra embryonic membranes of land vertebrates [...]").  After time I noted CORONAL as another seven, and then realised that I could insert an I to get CORONIAL for eight.

CORONIAL is the only eight.  The other sevens are CLARINO ("the high register of the trumpet") and ORCINOL (a certain chemical).

My selection: CLARION
Best: CORONIAL


Round 2: L U R M R I N N E

I had RUIN, INNER, LIMNER, RUNNIER*, ENNUI, LEMUR, and noted MURRINE but could not recall if it was a valid alternative spelling or not.  It is, of MURRHINE ("relating to a stone or stone-like substance of Roman times used for wine cups and other vessels").

Those are the only sevens listed.  A straightforward six is RUNNER.

My selection: RUNNIER*
Best: MURRINE


Round 3: Target 518 from 25 4 6 6 9 3

The nerest multiple of 25 is 525, which is 25*21.  I turned that into one off with 519 = (4*6 - 3)*25 - 6, then considered other options.  It's easy enough to get 18 with 3*6, but it does not seem feasible to get to 500 with the remaining numbers.  Instead I considered 2*259, and the 2 could be made as either 6/3 or 6 - 4.  That flexibility made a solution possible: 518 = (6/3)*((6 + 4)*25 + 9).

My selection: 518 = (6/3)*((6 + 4)*25 + 9)


Round 4: W C E P O I N G C

I had COPE, WINCE, COPING, COWING, and PIGEON.

Six is the limit on this mix; the others are WIGEON (variant spelling of WIDGEON: "any of several freshwater ducks"), COIGNE (variant spelling of QUOIN: "an external solid angle of a wall or the like"), and EPIGON (variant spelling of EPIGONE: "an inferior imitator or follower of an important writer, painter, etc.").

My selection: PIGEON


Round 5: O F A B I E R A D

I had BRIEF, wondered about FIBRED (valid as an adjective), ABOARD, BROADIE ("a deliberate sideways skid by which a car is turned to travel in the opposite direction") / BOARDIE ("an enthusiast for the sport of surfboard riding"), and FORBADE.

Those are all the sevens listed.

My selection: FORBADE


Round 6: Target 822 from 75 25 5 6 5 8

The target is near 11*75, and that leads to a solution: 822 = (6 + 5)*75 - (8 - 5).

My selection: 822 = (6 + 5)*75 - (8 - 5)


Round 7: I S E T H Q V E A

I had TIES, HEIST, and struggled until that final A gave me HEAVIEST.  I wondered about ATHEISE (not valid), and then saw the safe seven of THIEVES.

The remaining seven is HEAVIES.

My selection: HEAVIEST


Round 8: Target 454 from 100 5 1 9 3 4

I started by working up from 454 with 454 = 4*100 + (5 + 1)*9, then made the option of 450 + 4 work with 454 = 9*100/(3 - 1) + 4.

My selection: 454 = 4*100 + (5 + 1)*9


Round 9: WILY SAUCE

A hard one today, I'm afraid: SLUICEWAY ("any artificial channel for water").

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