NG 232

New game 232 is now available.


Round 1: B N I O X E T G S

I had INBOX (I recalled David finding INBOXES fairly early on in the show, in what turns out to be episode 33), BONE, BOXING, then was unsure about BOXINGS (later checking suggests that it is valid), the even more dubious TOEINGS (not valid) and BOEINGS (not listed, even capitalised), and finally was relieved to get a sure seven of BONIEST.

After time I realised that INBOXES was there all along, and I would have been particularly vexed with myself for the oversight if I had not been able to match that.

The other sevens are BESTING and TOXINES (TOXINE being a variant form of TOXIN).  BOXIEST is not explicitly listed (as it would need to be in order to be allowed).

Update: Commenter Mike pointed out that SEXTING is also valid.

My selection: BONIEST


Round 2: T C O E N S A U S

I had COTE, CENTOS (CENTO: "a poem composed wholly of quotations from other authors"), COUNTS, STANCES, and SOUTANES (SOUTANE being a type of cassock).

The other eights here are COUNTESS / CONTUSES (CONTUSE: "to injure as by a blow with a blunt instrument, without breaking the skin; bruise").  As we've seen before, CONTESSA is not listed.  More surprisingly, to me, was that NUT CASES was two words, not one.

My selection: SOUTANES


Round 3: Target 465 from 100 75 4 6 10 1

Perhaps due to yesterday's 865 target, the idea of making this as 475 - 10 was strong with me.  I started with the straightforward 465 = 4*100 + 75 - 10 and then found a more complicated alternative of 465 = 6*75 + 100/4 - 10.  After time I noted another approach of 465 = 4*(100 + 10 + 6) + 1.

My selection: 465 = 4*100 + 75 - 10


Round 4: R L U O N G I I C

I had LOUR ("to frown, scowl, or look sullen"), LOURING, ROILING, and COILING.  After time I noted CURLING as another seven.

The other seven is LIGROIN ("a mixture of volatile alkans; usually applied to a mixture with a boiling poin in the range 70–120° C").

My selection: ROILING


Round 5: T A S P A R W I L

I had PAST, PASTA, AWAITS, SPIRAL, SPRAWL, and LARIATS.  After time I noted SPATIAL as another seven.

If I had thought about it further, the ending of SPATIAL might have guided me to the eight in the mix: PARTIALS.  The other sevens are PARTIAL and possibly LATRIAS (LATRIA: "(in Roman Catholic theology) the supreme worship which may be offered to God only").

My selection: LARIATS
Best: PARTIALS


Round 6: Target 351 from 25 50 2 5 2 1

The target is divisible by 9, but that would use up too many small numbers.  Instead I applied the standard method to get 351 = (5 + 2)*50 + 1.

My selection: 351 = (5 + 2)*50 + 1


Round 7: R I R R A S T E E

This was looking pretty unpromising until those last few letters!  I had AIRS, STAIR, TARSIER, SERRATE, wondered about ARRESTER (it turns out to be valid), and ARTERIES.  After time I noted TERRIERS as another eight.

The other eights are TARRIERS / STARRIER and REARREST.

My selection: ARTERIES


Round 8: Target 196 from 100 75 7 1 6 1

I started with a simple addition, and then the offset of 21 turned out to be easy enough, yielding 196 = 100 + 75 + 7*6/(1 + 1).  I also had noted that the target was the square of 14, which is also 7*28, and thus the alternative solution 196 = 7*(100 - 75 + 6/(1 + 1)).

My selection: 196 = 100 + 75 + 7*6/(1 + 1)


Round 9: EDGY RELIC

Like yesterday, I'm not sure what got me to think in the right terms.  Somehow I avoided the -LY trap and found GLYCERIDE in what felt like good time.

My selection: GLYCERIDE (4.0s)