NG 673

New game 673 is now available.


Round 1: E B T G O U E R C

We so nearly had COURGETTE here -- a shame.  As it was, I had BEGOT and GROGUE.  After time I checked up on GOUTER (not valid) and CROUTE (valid: "a piece of fried or toasted bread on which meat dishes or small savouries may be served").

The seven from these letters is CORTEGE ("a train of attendants; retinue").  The other six is BURGEE ("a swallow-tailed flag or pennant, in the merchant service generally bearing the ship's name").

My selection: BROGUE
Best: CORTEGE


Round 2: M O L S A I S N C

I had MOLS (MOL being another form of MOLE, the unit of amount of substance), ALSO, LOAMS, CASINOS / CAISSON, MASONIC, and amused myself with SOLAMNIC (but not as a serious consideration, of course).  A bit after time I saw MALISONS (MALISON being an archaic word for a curse), which would have been a nice find except for the fact that the Macquarie does not list it.  So it's just as well that I did not see it within time.

The eight to be had is LACONISM ("a laconic utterance or sentence").  Of course, that extends to the nine of LACONISMS.  The other sevens are SOCIALS, MOSAICS, OILCANS, SALMONS, MANIOCS / CAMIONS (CAMION: "a strongly built truck or cart for carrying heaving loads"), CASSINO (a card game), and MASCONS (MASCON: "any of several local concentrations of mass below the surface of the moon").

My selection: MASONIC
Best: LACONISMS


Round 3: Target 110 from 75 25 100 4 4 6

I started with the straightforward 110 = 100 + 6 + 4, then looked at the factorisation 10*11 and eventually found the roundabout 110 = ((100 + 75)/25 + 4)*(6 + 4).

My selection: 110 = ((100 + 75)/25 + 4)*(6 + 4)


Round 4: O L R C T A E I W

I had CLOT, ACTOR, ARTICLE / RECITAL, and LORICATE ("covered with a lorica"; a lorica is "a hard protective case or sheath [...]").

LORICATE is the only eight.  The other sevens are LORICAE (plural of LORICA) / CALORIE / CARIOLE ("a small, open, two-wheeled vehicle") / COALIER*, EROTICA, LOCATER, CORTILE ("an enclosed courtyard, within or attached to a building, usually roofless"), and ALOETIC (adjective derived from ALOE).

My selection: LORICATE


Round 5: E P D R K O A E B

Meh, an ill-fitting assortment.  I had PERK, POKER, PARKED, and flirted with a few longer options but rightly rejected them all (POKERED, PREBADE, REBAKED, PREBAKED).

There is a seven here, though: BARKEEP.

My selection: PARKED


Round 6: Target 702 from 100 4 5 1 6 2

Again the standard method solves this easily enough with 702 = (6 + 1)*100 + 2.  I also considered the factorisation 6*117 and so noted an alternative solution of 702 = 6*(100 + 4*5 - 2 - 1).

My selection: 702 = (6 + 1)*100 + 2


Round 7: M E T F T I D A T

I had TIME, FITTED, FATTED, and MATTED.  A shame a final vowel was not tried, as an E would have allowed MEDITATE.

Six is the best to be done; the other is TATTED.

My selection: MATTED


Round 8: Target 597 from 75 100 4 10 1 5

Putting aside the 4 and 1 to make the final offset of 3, the question became whether it was possible to get to 600 with the rest.  I feel a little lucky to have stumbled upon an answer: 597 = 10*(75 - 5) - 100 - (4 - 1).

My selection: 597 = 10*(75 - 5) - 100 - (4 - 1)


Round 9: HARM WANES

We had almost exactly this conundrum back in NG 115, which had WASHERMEN.  (Of course, I only found that out when I checked to see if this had already been used.)  I decided to use it anyway.

My selection: WASHERMAN (6.2s)