NG 225

New game 225 is now available.


Round 1: S Q E O N E R H O

I had NOSE, HERONS, wished for a final I for HEROINES but did not get it, and ONSHORE.  After time I checked that HOONERS was not valid, as expected.

There is an eight here, though, and it hurts a bit to have missed it.  I noticed HONORS after I had found ONSHORE but since it was shorted I ignored it.  Just a little more thought might have got me to the eight of HONOREES.  The other seven is HONOREE.

This sets the tone for the letters rounds for me today; every better option was something that I could have found, whether because I considered something just a little away from it or because I've mentioned the word a good many times on this blog already (or both).  Before I checked up on the answers I was pretty happy about it all; now, somewhat less so.  How fickle of me. *chuckles*

My selection: ONSHORE
Best: HONOREES


Round 2: N C E T D E O G T

I had CENT, DECENT, and DOCENT ("a guide, as in a zoo, museum, etc., often a volunteer with some training").  I wanted a final S for CONGESTED but no joy.  After time I noted down some of the other sixes that I had seen within time: CONGEE ("a Chinese dish consisting of a thick soup or porridge made from rice or other grain [...]"), GOTTEN, DETECT, and NETTED.

What I had forgotten is that CONGEE is also a verb ("to take one's leave") and so CONGEED is good for seven, and the only one.

My selection: DECENT
Best: CONGEED


Round 3: Target 254 from 50 25 6 5 2 10

Straightforward enough to get to 250, and the offset of 4 is also unchallenging; I went with 254 = 10*25 + 6 - 2.

My selection: 254 = 10*25 + 6 - 2


Round 4: N T S U O C O D R

I had STUN, OUTS, COUNTS, wished that the S had been a C for CONDUCTOR, DOCTORS, rejected UNDOCTORS (correctly, although UNDOCTORED is listed), and lamented that an O had not been an E for CONSTRUED.  After time I noted CORDONS as another seven.

The strange part here is that I recall briefly thinking about CROUTON but not following up on it.  A bizarre oversight, as CROUTONS is valid for eight.  (Maybe I am misremembering some other such instance and conflating it with this; I'm not entirely sure, but it is in keeping with the theme of the day.)  The other eight is an anagram of it: CONTOURS.

The other sevens are CROUTON / CONTOUR, CONDORS, CONSORT / CROTONS (CROTON being a type of plant), UNROOTS, and OROTUND.

My selection: DOCTORS
Best: CONTOURS


Round 5: M R A E R N I E D

I had MARE / REAM, MARINE / REMAIN, and hoped for a final D.  This time the right letter did turn up and I had REMAINDER for nine.  Whew!

The eights are REMAINED, DREAMIER, and REMINDER.

My selection: REMAINDER


Round 6: Target 620 from 75 100 25 50 6 10

There's any number of ways to get to 625, and especially using the large numbers alone.  For some reason I overlooked the way to make the offset of 5 as 50/10 at first and ended up working my way there from 600 instead via 620 = 6*(75 + 25) + 10*100/50.  Then I did see the offset of 5 and went with the simple 620 = 6*100 + 25 - 50/10.  (The alternative for those familiar with the 625 option is 620 = (100 - 75)*25 - 50/10.)

My selection: 620 = 6*100 + 25 - 50/10


Round 7: F U A P W M E N S

Gah, horrible letters.  I had FAME, FAWNS, SWAMP, PAWNS, and just could not better it.  The only candidate I could think of for longer was FUSEMAN, and it was obviously wrong.  I spent most of my time staring at UAPMENS convinced there was something there but not being able to find it.

It took until the next morning before I found the six of UNSAFE.  The other sixes are UNSEAM (I had considered this but for some reason decided it was too dubious to even write down; in the cold light of day that's another strange mistake) and PNEUMA (which I mentioned many times, the most recent being only seven games ago in NG 218: "Greek philosophy, etc. the vital spirit; the soul").  And that, of course, makes PNEUMAS the seven that my subconscious was trying to bring to my attention.

My selection: SWAMP
Best: PNEUMAS


Round 8: Target 325 from 75 50 2 1 5 9

A multiple of 25, and it's just a small matter to play around with the options; I noted down the simplest two of 325 = 5*50 + 75 and 325 = 5*75 - 50, and left it at that.

My selection: 325 = 5*50 + 75


Round 9: VAIN BIGOT

This time I was faster to solve it after pulling out the -ING fragment; with OB- as another likely option it was a small further step to OBVIATING (OBVIATE: "to meet and dispose of or prevent (difficulties, objections, etc.) by effective measures").  I recall first encountering this word in Infocom's text adventure game Sorcerer, a very good many years ago.

My selection: OBVIATING (2.0s)