NG 113

New game 113 is ready for playing.  Also, tomorrow's game will be up late.


Round 1: C A Z U S G I M N

This was looking awkward until the final N made things a lot better, bringing -ING into play as it did.  I had ZAGS (invalid, as is ZIGS), MAGIC, MAGICS, AMUSING, and CAUSING / SAUCING.

Those seem to be the only sevens, and the best to be done.

My selection: AMUSING


Round 2: I A D B R O C T A

I had BRAID, BROAD, ADROIT, CAROTID, and was hoping that the last letter would be an E to give BACTEROID (ably found by David in the outstanding episode 15).  No such luck, and seven was my limit.  After time I noted down ACROBAT and CATBIRD as other sevens.

The other sevens are AIRBOAT and ACAROID ("resembling an acarid", where an acarid is "any animal belonging to the Acari (or Acarina), an order of arachnids including the mites, ticks, etc.").

There are no eights, but there is a nine!  It is ABDICATOR, a tricky start to see even once the -ATOR ending is pulled out (as I had done).

My selection: CAROTID
Best: ABDICATOR


Round 3: Target 234 from 75 3 5 4 3 5

The standard method applies easily; I used a tweak but could easily have done without it: 234 = 3*(75 + 3).

My selection: 234 = 3*(75 + 3)


Round 4: N R K E I S I T F

I had KERN ("a part of the face of a type projecting beyond the body or shank, as in certain italic letters"), INKER, SINKER, STINKER, and SNIFTER.  After time I saw STINKIER, which is actually a touch troublesome as I'd thought of it when I wrote down STINKER but then somehow got distracted by SNIFTER and lost track of it.  Sheer carelessness.

That is the only eight; the other sevens are TINKERS, INKIEST, NIFTIER, NIFTIES (plural of NIFTY: "Chiefly US something nifty, as a smart or clever remark"), FIRKINS (FIRKIN: "a small wooden vessel for butter, etc."), and FRISKET ("an iron frame to hold in place a sheet of paper to be printed").

My selection: STINKER
Best: STINKIER


Round 5: L E P A D O B O H

I had PEAL, PLEAD / PEDAL, wondered about BLOOPED but decided against it (which was fortunately correct), and POOLED / LOOPED.  After time I noted HOOPLA as another six (another good find from David in episode 332, incidentally).

Six looks like the best; the others are BEHOLD, HOOPED, POODLE, HALOED, BOODLE ("to gain money dishonestly, as by corrupt bargains"), and DOABLE / ALBEDO ("the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it").

My selection: POOLED


Round 6: Target 758 from 50 25 6 10 1 9

The standard method applies easily again: 758 = 10*(50 + 25) + 9 - 1.

My selection: 758 = 10*(50 + 25) + 9 - 1


Round 7: R E S E C U W E M

I had SEER, RECUSE ("US Law to disqualify from participation in the process leading to a decision, as a judge in a court case, on the grounds of demonstrated prejudice or existing personal involvement") / RESCUE, and pondered RESCUEE.  It was tempting, but not quite tempting enough, and indeed it is not listed.

Again six is the best on offer; the others are RESUME, SECURE / CERUSE ("white lead") / CEREUS (a type of cactus), SEEMER / EMEERS (EMEER being a variant spelling of EMIR: "a Muslim or Arabian chieftain or prince"), EMCEES, CRÈMES, and CREESE (variant spelling of KRIS: "a short sword or heavy dagger with a wavy blade, used by the Malays").

My selection: RESCUE


Round 8: Target 140 from 50 100 8 5 7 2

Huh, we had 140 as the last numbers round yesterday, too.  I started with a simple 140 = 100 + 5*8, then avoided the large numbers with the alternative solution 140 = 7*5*8/2.

My selection: 140 = 7*5*8/2


Round 9: GRIM CANON

The -ING fragment was useful, and a little unravelling guided me to ROMANCING early on.

My selection: ROMANCING (2.4s)