NG 347

New game 347 is now available.


Round 1: S L R W E O M G I

I had SLEW, LOWERS, MOWERS, GLOWERS, and MOILERS (MOIL: "to work hard; toil; drudge").  After time I noted that a U instead of the I (or the E) would have allowed LUGWORMS.

Chambers would allow GOMERILS (GOMERIL being a Scottish term for "a simpleton; a dunderhead"), but it's not in the Macquarie so seven is the best on offer.  The other seven is GLORIES,

My selection: GLOWERS


Round 2: F P T F S E A O I

I had PEST, STAFF, PATOIS, wondered about OFFSITE (I suspected that even if it were present it would be hyphenated; it is not listed, however), and was relieved to be spared that decision by noticing OPIATES.

The other seven is PIAFFES (PIAFFE: "(of a horse) to lift each pair of diagonally opposite legs in succession, as in the trot, but without going forwards, backwards, or sideways"; then again, a second definition is "to move slowly forwards, backwards, or sideways in this manner", suggesting that part of the first definition is redundant).

There's a few almost-sevens here.  TIP-OFFS requires the hyphen, and the Macquarie fails to list plural forms for TOFFY, TAFFY, or ATOPY ("a genetic tendency to develop allergic reactions").

My selection: OPIATES


Round 3: Target 339 from 50 75 5 4 2 3

The target is 3*113, but a little unusually I started with the standard method instead, aiming for 350 - 11.  The 11 was going to need three small numbers, but fortunately 350 was manageable without them, leading to the solution 339 = 4*75 + 50 - (2*3 + 5).  Although I did not write it down, I also observed that a tweak could save a number: 339 = 4*(75 - 2) + 50 - 3.

Moving on to the option of 3*113 I got that working as 339 = ((50 + 4)*2 + 5)*3, and then went looking further afield.  The 39 ending was near half of 75, so I tried multiplying by 2 and found that the new target of 678 was easily obtained.  The result was my preferred solution: 339 = ((5 + 4)*75 + 3)/2.

My selection: 339 = ((5 + 4)*75 + 3)/2


Round 4: R S A E T X D I A

I had EARS, TEARS, EXTRAS, TRADES, TIRADES, and RADIATES.

The Macquarie does not list AIRDATES, but there is another eight: DATARIES (plural of DATARY: "Roman Catholic Church an officer, now cardinal, at the head of a certain office or department of the Curia who investigates the fitness of candidates for benefices in the gift of the papal see").

There's a decent number of sevens to be had: RADIATE, ASTRIDE / STAIDER / DISRATE ("to reduce to a lower rating, as a petty officer, or a non-commissioned officer of marines") / DIASTER ("a stage in mitosis at which the chromosomes, after their division and separation, are grouped near the poles of the spindle"), RADIXES (one plural form of RADIX: "a root; a radical"), and ASTERIA ("a precious stone which shows asterism when cabochon-cut, as the star-sapphire") / ATRESIA ("Medicine the congenital absence or excessive narrowing of a duct or canal") / ARISTAE (plural of ARISTA: "Botany a bristle-like appendage of grain, etc.").

My selection: RADIATES


Round 5: L C R S G E A C U

I had CLEARS and GRACES.  Frankly, that last U threw me a bit; I had hoped for an I for GLACIERS (with the possibility if taken a little earlier for SACRILEGE).

Not the most promising selection, but there were sevens to be had: ACCRUES / ACCUSER, RECUSAL / SECULAR, and SACCULE ("a little sac").

My selection: CLEARS
Best: ACCRUES


Round 6: Target 189 from 50 25 100 2 6 9

The target is 9*21, and that is where my thoughts first turned, finding 189 = (25 - (6 - 2))*9.  A bit later I considered the standard method and found the alternative 189 = 6*25 + 50 - 9 - 2.

My selection: 189 = (25 - (6 - 2))*9


Round 7: I O M S E N E T H

I had SOME, MONIES, HISTONE, recalled that TONEMES was not valid, MOISTEN, and SEMITONE.

The other eight is MONETISE; I expect one day that HOMESITE will make it in, but it's not there yet.  The sevens are HOMIEST, ONETIME (the expected ONE-TIME is listed, but ONETIME gets a separate entry as an Aboriginal English word meaning "once"), THEINES (THEINE: "caffeine found in tea"), and EMETINS (EMETIN being a variant form of EMETINE, a certain alkaloid).

My selection: SEMITONE


Round 8: Target 522 from 50 75 4 5 2 10

The target is near 7*75, but I was unable to turn that into more than one off.  Fortunately when I looked at getting to 500 instead a solution fell out: 522 = 10*50 + 5*4 + 2.  A little later I found an alternative via 4*130 + 2 with 522 = (75 + 50 + 5)*4 + 2.

My selection: 522 = 10*50 + 5*4 + 2


Round 9: HOSES HERO

I often look at the HORSE/SHORE fragment when present, but I think this is only the second time it has been useful.

My selection: HORSESHOE (3.6s)