NG 403

New game 403 is now available.


Round 1: E U O T G S L S R

I had GOUT, GOUTS (as in "gouts of blood"), and RESULTS.  I flirted with GROUTLESS and OUTGRESS, but rightly rejected them both.  After time ran out I noted some other sevens: LUSTRES, SOLUTES, GUTLESS, and SOUREST.

Seven is the limit; the others are RUSTLES / LUSTERS (LUSTER being an American spelling of LUSTRE) / SUTLERS (SUTLER: "History a person who followed an army and sold provisions, etc., to the soldiers")  ULSTERS (ULSTER: "a long, loose, heavy overcoat, originally made of cloth from northern Ireland"), GROUSES, LOTUSES / TOUSLES, GLOSSER, OSTLERS (OSTLER: "(formerly) someone who takes care of horses, especially at an inn") / STEROLS (STEROL: "any of a group of steroid alcohols derived from plants or animals [...]"), TUGLESS, and OUSTERS / OESTRUS / ESTROUS (variant spelling of OESTROUS) / TUSSORE ("a coarse tan-coloured silk from India, obtained from the cocoons of various undomesticated Asiatic silkworms [...]").

My selection: RESULTS


Round 2: W B E H E O D C N

I had WHEE, BENCHED, CHEWED, and WHENCE.

The other seven is WENCHED.  The other sixes are ENCODE, ECHOED, and CHOWED* (using the recent revision about phrases, since CHOW DOWN is listed).

My selection: BENCHED


Round 3: Target 780 from 100 9 6 10 9 7

The plan of 10*78 was immediately obvious, and a little play produced 780 = (100 - 9 - 7 - 6)*10.  I experimented with other options, and found another one that I liked with 780 = (9*9 + 7)*10 - 100.

My selection: 780 = (9*9 + 7)*10 - 100


Round 4: I M A A L N T F I

I was hoping for a final E for FILAMENT, but no such luck.  Instead, I had LAMA, LAMIA ("(in classical mythology) a vampire; a female demon who stole children"), ANIMAL, and FANTAIL (a type of bird).

The other sevens are LIFTMAN, MATINAL, and TAILFIN.

My selection: FANTAIL


Round 5: E M R O I N E I H

I had MORE, MOIRE ("a watered fabric, as of silk or wool"), amused myself by observing HERMIONE, HEROINE, and MENHIR.  After time I noted ERMINE as another six.

HEROINE does appear to be the only seven.  The other sixes are HEREIN / INHERE, HEREON, HEROIN, HOMIER, MERINO, MOREEN ("a heavy fabric of wool, or wool and cotton, commonly watered, used for curtains, petticoats, etc."), and HEINIE (variant spelling of HINEY, listed as American colloquial for "the buttocks").

My selection: HEROINE


Round 6: Target 439 from 100 25 75 7 9 6

I noted that the target was 425 + 14, which suggested a possible tweak as 7*(75 + 2) - 100 but I could not make the 2 with what was left.  Instead I took a more sensible descent from 450 with 439 = 6*75 - 7 - 100/25.

My selection: 439 = 6*75 - 7 - 100/25


Round 7: E A S B P D A C G

I had BASE, SPADE, ABASED, wanted a final E for ESCAPADE but got a G instead, ADAGES, and BADGES.

Six is the best to be done; the others are GASPED, SPACED / SCAPED (SCAPE being listed as an archaic version of ESCAPE), CADGES, SEABAG ("a bag, usually of canvas, closed at the top by a string, used by sailors and others for stowing kit; a nautical kitbag"), AGAPES (AGAPE as a noun: "a meal of fellowship, originally with the early Christians"), and DEBAGS (DEBAG: "Colloquial to remove the trousers of, as a joke or punishment").

My selection: ABASED


Round 8: Target 985 from 50 75 3 4 6 6

My instinct was to make this as 975 + 10, and after putting aside a 6 and 4 to make the 10 I was pleased to find that the 975 was achievable with the rest, getting 985 = 3*6*50 + 75 + 6 + 4.

My selection: 985 = 3*6*50 + 75 + 6 + 4


Round 9: ACUTE VISA

I buzzed in too hastily with VACUITIES, which doubled the wrong vowel.  Oh, well.

My selection: [invalid -- VACUITIES]
Best: CAUSATIVE