NG 256

New game 256 is now available.


Round 1: E U I N H L M S T

I had LINE, MEUSLI (an invalid spelling of MUESLI; I consistently make this error, alas), INHUMES (buries), and HELIUMS.

The other sevens are MINUTES / MINUETS and UTENSIL / LUNIEST.

My selection: INHUMES


Round 2: Q E E I R N A D T

I had NEAR, RAINED, TRAINED, and RETAINED / DETAINER.

Those are the only eights (not surprisingly, given that the Q is not useful).  The other sevens are DETRAIN and TRAINEE / RETINAE.

My selection: RETAINED


Round 3: Target 388 from 100 1 10 10 2 9

A tough set of small numbers to work with, and it's a bit forbidding to even get close.  I flailed around for a bit and then realised that making 2*190 would get me close and the rest was manageable with a bit of tweaking: 388 = (100 + 9*10 - 1)*2 + 10.  Phew!

My selection: 388 = (100 + 9*10 - 1)*2 + 10


Round 4: E O D M A O M B B

I had MODE, MOOED, hoped for a final N for ABDOMEN but no such luck, BOMBED / MOBBED, and BOOMED.

BAMBOO is another six, but there is no associated BAMBOOED adjective.  The best to be done is seven with MAMBOED.  The remaining six is BOOBED (using the sense of BOOB that indicates making a mistake).

My selection: BOMBED
Best: MAMBOED


Round 5: E U N T D O R L O

I had TUNE, TUNED, TURNED, TRUNDLE, ROUNDEL, was dubious about UNTOOLED / UNLOOTED (rightly so -- neither is valid), and was pleased to find UNROOTED as a safe eight.  I also ponder UNDERTOOL, but that was clearly not valid.

The other eight is ROUNDLET ("a small circle or circular object").  The other sevens are ROOTLED, OUTDONE / DUOTONE, OUTRODE, and OROTUND.

My selection: UNROOTED


Round 6: Target 107 from 100 50 6 4 10 9

A little too straightfoward for my taste: 107 = 100 + 10 + 6 - 9.

My selection: 107 = 100 + 10 + 6 - 9


Round 7: C K T A O I P C H

I had TACK, COATI, OKAPI, PATCH, rejected POTICH (POTICHE is a type of vase, but the E is required), and also correctly rejected COPTIC (which is listed, but capitalised, as expected).  After time I noted PHOTIC as a valid six, and then a little later COCKPIT and APHOTIC as sevens.

The other seven is CHAOTIC.  The other sixes are HAPTIC ("of or relating to the sense of touch") / PHATIC ("of speech used to make social contact, without necessarily conveying a particular meaning") and ATOPIC (adjective derived from ATOPY: "a genetic tendency to develop allergic reactions").

My selection: COATI
Best: COCKPIT


Round 8: Target 143 from 50 25 1 4 2 4

Pretty clear to apply the standard method here; I started with 143 = 4*25 + 50 - 4 - 2 - 1, then tweaked my way to saving a number with 143 = 2*(50 + 254 - 4) + 1.

My selection: 143 = 2*(50 + 25 - 4) + 1


Round 9: TIRED ARIA

I chose this conundrum explicitly after being presented with a similar but unusable one.  I think I would have struggled to solve it in practice -- too many vowels and all common letters.

My selection: [N/A -- conundrum chosen explicitly]
Best: IRRADIATE