NG 324

New game 324 is now available.


Round 1: I A F E S C T C C

I had SAFE, FACES, FACETS, and ASCETIC ("someone who lives a life of austerity, especially for religious reasons").

ASCETIC seems to be the only seven; the other sixes are ACETIC, FIESTA, and FACIES ("a general appearance of something naturally occurring, as a particular flora, fauna or ecological community").

My selection: ASCETIC


Round 2: N G O F R R E E I

I had FROG, GONER, FREEING, and FOREIGNER.

The eights are FINGERER and ERIGERON (a type of plant).  The other sevens are FOREIGN, FEIGNER / REEFING, IGNORER, REFORGE, and REFINER.

My selection: FOREIGNER


Round 3: Target 344 from 50 6 6 9 10 1

The standard method was clearly attractive, and easy to apply: 344 = (6 + 1)*50 - 6.

My selection: 344 = (6 + 1)*50 - 6


Round 4: T E C N P R A E S

I had CENT, PARENT, PERCENT, PERCENTS, PRANCES, and SPECTRA.

The Macquarie does not have PREENACTS, so eight is the best to be done.  The others are PRECENTS (PRECENT: "to lead as a precentor in singing") and SARCENET ("a very fine, soft, silk fabric, used especially for linings").  RE-ENACTS is listed, but only with the hyphen.

My selection: PERCENTS


Round 5: U A M T A N L T S

I had MUTANT, MUTANTS, TANTALUM (a chemical element), and TANTALUMS.  Two conundrums in the same game, woohoo!  After time I noted MANUALS as another seven.

The other eight here is TANTALUS ("a stand containing visible decanters, secured by a lock").  The other sevens are SULTANA, MANTUAS (MANTUA: "a kind of loose gown formerly worn by women"), and SALTANT ("dancing; leaping; jumping").

My selection: TANTALUMS


Round 6: Target 988 from 100 50 7 7 5 6

Getting to 1000 seemed like a sensible first approach, but not trivial.  I actually started by working my way up from 900 with further tweaking, to get a one off 989 = (100 + 50 + 7 + 7)*6 + 5.  Then I got to 1000 for a different one off with 987 = 100*50/5 - 7 - 6.  I wanted to keep the 5 and a 7 back to make the offset of 12, but 6*150 was too small and 7*150 was too large.  Then I realised that I could get to 1000 by a combination of those two, and found the solution 988 = 7*100 + 6*50 - 7 - 5.

My selection: 988 = 7*100 + 6*50 - 7 - 5


Round 7: E H O T I E G H W

I had EIGHT, HOGTIE, EIGHTH / HEIGHT, and WEIGHT.  I had been hoping for a final T for the mineral GOETHITE.

That's all the sixes listed, and there's nothing better on offer.

My selection: HOGTIE


Round 8: Target 155 from 100 1 10 9 4 3

I spend a little time looking for an option in small numbers alone, and found it in the shape of 155 = (9 - 4)*(3*10 + 1).  After time I noted a perhaps easier option of 155 = 100 + (9 - 4)*(10 + 1).

My selection: 155 = (9 - 4)*(3*10 + 1)


Round 9: CURE A HUFF

I forget what unusable conundrum made me think of this, but I chose CHAUFFEUR as a result.

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