NG 230

New game 230 is up.


Round 1: A O A E S C C R L

I had CASE, COARSE, ORACLES / SOLACER, CORACLES (CORACLE: "(in Wales and western England) a small boat, nearly or quite as broad as long, made like a basket"), and ACEROLAS (ACEROLA being a type of tree similar to a cherry).  After time I checked up on the possible seven of CLOACAS but discovered the only allowed plural form was CLOACAE (which also can be formed in this round).

There is a full monty here, though: CARACOLES (CARACOLE: "a half-turn executed by a rider on horseback").  The other eights are CARACOLE and CARACOLS (CARACOL being a variant spelling of CARACOLE).

The other sevens are CARACOL, CORACLE, ACEROLA, COALERS, SCALARE (another name for an angelfish), ROSACEA ("a skin condition of the face characterised by redness caused by enlargement of the blood vessels under the skin, combined with acne-like eruptions"), and CARCASE (variant form of CARCASS).

My selection: CORACLES
Best: CARACOLES


Round 2: T M O S I B U T T

I had MOST, MOIST, and SUBMIT.  After time I noted another six of SUBITO ("(in music) suddenly; abruptly").

There is one seven here: TOMTITS (TOMTIT being a type of bird).  The other sixes are TOMTIT, UTMOST, OUTSIT, and TUTTIS (TUTTI as a noun: "a tutti passage or movement"; TUTTI as an adjective: "intended for or performed by all (or most of) the voices or instruments together [...]").

My selection: SUBMIT
Best: TOMTITS


Round 3: Target 560 from 75 100 4 6 6 9


I wanted to get close, and the obvious starting point was 6*100.  Somehow I missed that the offset of 40 was 6*6 + 4 and thus the solution 560 = 6*(100 - 6) - 4; instead I did not get anywhere with this approach.  But getting to 550 bore fruit, giving me 560 = 6*75 + 100 + 6 + 4.  A little later I realised that I could make a 5 from 9 - 4, and found another solution: 560 = (100 + 6 + 6)*(9 - 4).

Seen while writing this up is another option: 560 = (6 + 4)*(75 - 9) - 100.

My selection: 560 = 6*75 + 100 + 6 + 4


Round 4: E G W E N V I S E

I had an uncertain VENGE (valid as an archaic form of AVENGE), GIVEN, GIVENS, SEEING, and SWINGE (marked as archaic: "to whip; punish").  I had hoped for a final A for ENVISAGE, but no joy on that front.  After time I noted SEWING as another six.

The seven here is WEENIES (WEENIE being an American term for "a frankfurt or similar sausage").  The other sixes are WEENIE, VENGES, VEGIES, ENVIES, GENIES, and NEWIES (NEWIE being colloquial for "something or someone new").

My selection: SEEING
Best: WEENIES


Round 5: E O I U H D S D A

I had HIDE, HIDES, and HIDEOUS.  I also pondered DEADISH and AIDHOUSE but later checking confirmed that neither is valid.

HIDEOUS is the only seven.  The sixes are DISHED, DASHED / SHADED, HOUSED, DOUSED, DIODES, ADIEUS, AUDIOS, DADOES (DADO: "the part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice or cap"), ODDISH, and SADDHU (variant spelling of SADHU: "a Hindu ascetic holy man").

My selection: HIDEOUS


Round 6: Target 300 from 100 75 25 2 8 4

Disappointing; I went with 300 = 4*75 and looked no further.

My selection: 300 = 4*75


Round 7: A I O E T T L N I

I had IOTA, TOILET, and ELATION / TOENAIL.

Those appear to be the only sevens; I don't feel like going through all the sixes (sorry), so I'll just mention LATENT / TALENT and ETALON.

My selection: ELATION


Round 8: Target 564 from 100 50 9 7 3 1

This was another case of trying to get close first, and like round 3 I got to 550 as 450 + 100.  The offset of 14 was straightforward from the remaining numbers, giving me the solution 564 = 9*50 + 100 + 7*(3 - 1).  I then considered the descent from 600, and there were two ways to make a 6.  I spotted that I could use both of them to get another solution of 564 = 6*(100 - 6) where 6 = 9 - 1 and 7 - 3.  Then I realised that this implied the factorisation 6*94, which was also 12*47.  The 47 was easy as 50 - 3, but could the rest yield 12?  I turned out that they could, and my final solution was 564 = ((100 + 7 + 1)/9)*(50 - 3).

My selection: 564 = ((100 + 7 + 1)/9)*(50 - 3)


Round 9: STEAL TUNA

I was skipping through conundrums a bit fast by the time I got to this, and did not give it enough time; then again, I think it mildly unlikely that I would have solved it in any case.  I had pulled out the -ATE fragment but not done anything with the rest of it that looked convincing.

My selection: [no answer]
Best: SULTANATE