NG 147

New game 147 is now available.


Round 1: U I E S T M A L B

I had SUITE, AMULETS, SIMULATE, and SUITABLE.

Fine eights, but there is a nine: SUBLIMATE.

The other eights are BALMIEST / TIMBALES ("single-headed drums of South American origin, usually mounted as a pair, and tuned to different pitches").

My selection: SIMULATE
Best: SUBLIMATE


Round 2: C M G M E E E B A

A rather awkward mix; I had BECAME, and that was it.

Six is the best on offer; the other is GEMMAE (plural of GEMMA: "a bud, especially a leaf bud").  The fives are GEMMA and EMCEE.

My selection: BECAME


Round 3: Target 494 from 100 25 50 1 2 1

There's been a recent spate of difficult number games, and this is another one.  Those small numbers are so low that offsets are difficult; I was able to tweak my way to one off with 495 = (2*50/25 + 1)*(100 - 1) and that was the best I could manage.

That turns out to be the best possible (which did not surprise me in this case -- so little manoeuvring room with those small numbers).  There's several minor variations on the idea, but they all boil down to 5*99 in some shape.

My selection: (2*50/25 + 1)*(100 - 1)  [1 off]


Round 4: C P H C E O A D D

I had COPE, EPOCH, PEACH, POACHED, and COACHED.

The other seven is DECAPOD  ("any ten-armed dibranchiate cephalopod, as the cuttlefish, squid, etc.").

My selection: POACHED


Round 5: E E O W R S C A R

I had WORE, SEWER, COWERS, COARSE, COARSER, CAREERS, and an uncertain SCREWER (not valid, it turns out).  I also observed SCOWRER but was confident it would not be valid.

Seven seems to be the best on offer; the others are WEARERS / SWEARER, CREASER, ACEROSE ("needle-shaped, as the leaves of the pine"), and CROWEAS (CROWEA being a type of shrub).

My selection: CAREERS


Round 6: Target 708 from 25 50 6 10 7 4

I got somewhat hung up at first, emerging with one away via 707 = (10 + 4)*50 + 7.  I fiddled with the idead of 4*177 for a while but eventually looked at descending from 750 at which point life was pretty straightforward since the offset of 42 is 6*7.  The resulting solution is 708 = (50 + 25)*10 - 6*7.

My selection: 708 = (50 + 25)*10 - 6*7


Round 7: A A O R S N E N T

I had SOAR, REASON, TREASON / SENATOR, and RESONANT.

RESONANT looks like the only eight; the other sevens are TANNERS, ATONERS, and possibly NATRONS (NATRON being a mineral).

My selection: RESONANT


Round 8: Target 155 from 25 75 9 1 4 2

Finally an easy numbers round, and I'm perversely disappointed.  *laughs*  I went with 155 = 2*75 + 4 + 1, but there's enough other options.

My selection: 155 = 2*75 + 4 + 1


Round 9: GOT PINION

Pull out the -ING and the choice is between OPTIONING and POTIONING.  That shouldn't be too hard a decision, and OPTIONING is the right option.

My selection: OPTIONING (3.7s)