NG 428

New game 428 is now available.


Round 1: L G M X D U O A S

I had GLUM, MOULD, LOADS, MOULDS, and regretted that SLUMDOG was not going to be valid.  After time I noted MOGULS as another six.

Six looks like the best on offer (although I think everyone would find MUGLOADS understandable).  The others are DOGMAS, DOLMAS (an acceptable plural form of DOLMA; the perhaps more usual plural form is DOLMADES), and DOULAS (DOULA: "a woman experienced in childbirth, who provides physical, emotional, and informational support to a new mother [...]").

My selection: MOULDS


Round 2: O T I M O K T B N

I had OMIT, MOTION, and KIMONO.

The Macquarie does not list BOOMKIN (which some sources give as a variant spelling of BUMPKIN in the sense of "Nautical a beam or spar projecting outwards from the bow, side, or stern of a ship to extend a sail, secure blocks, or the like"), so six is the best to be done.  The others are INTOMB (variant form of ENTOMB), BOTTOM, and BONITO (a type of fish).

My selection: KIMONO


Round 3: Target 420 from 50 75 100 10 5 3

The factor of 10 was hard to go past, leading to 420 = (50 - 5 - 3)*10.  Applying the standard method gave me another solution of 420 = 3*100 + 75 + 50 - 5 (although 420 = 10*50 - 75 - 5 would have been a simpler use of the same idea), and finally the factorisation 6*70 gave me the solution 420 = (75 - 5)*3*100/50.

After time I noted yet another solution of 420 = 3*(100 + 50 - 10).

My selection: 420 = (50 - 5 - 3)*10


Round 4: P R E I O D T C A

I had RIPE, PERIOD, PERIDOT, PREDICT, and contemplated DEPICTOR but recalled from previous checking that only the form DEPICTER was listed.  It's a good letter mix, and it seemed like an eight should be around, but it eluded me.  After time I noted other sevens of PAROTID, CAROTID, PARODIC, DIOPTRE / DIOPTER, and PARTIED / PIRATED.  Some hours later I cam back to this and looked at the -OID ending, finding an eight of CERATOID ("hornlike").

The other eight is OPERATIC; there's a good many other sevens.

My selection: PERIDOT
Best: OPERATIC


Round 5: M R N I I S R B E

I had MINI, MINIS, wondered about MIRRINS (valid, by my interpretation: MIRRIN is a variant spelling of MIRIN: "a sweet Japanese rice wine"), wanted a final A for MINIBARS but was disappointed, BRINES, and BRINIER.

MIRRINS and BRINIER appear to be the only sevens.

My selection: BRINIER


Round 6: Target 519 from 25 75 5 9 10 3

I was tempted to (somehow) start with 7*75, but missed a useful way to proceed.  Seen just now is the option 519 = ((25 + 10)/5)*75 - (9 - 3); the key was to reserve the elements required for the 6 and then the answer fell out easily.  Oh, well.  Instead I went with a reasonably straightforward 519 = 5*(75 + 25) + 10 + 9.

My selection: 519 = 5*(75 + 25) + 10 + 9


Round 7: A O C L L E F N C

I had COAL, LOCAL, LOCALE, FOECAL, and CANCEL.  A bit after time I realised that I had overlooked CONCEAL, despite looking for CON- words several times.

CONCEAL seems to be the only seven.  The other sixes are FALCON, FALLEN, and CLONAL.

My selction: LOCALE
Best: CONCEAL


Round 8: Target 509 from 25 2 4 8 1 6

The standard method seemed worth investigating, with both the offsets 8 + 1 and 8*2 being manageable.  The former seemed the more approachable, and led to 509 = 2*(6 + 4)*25 + 8 + 1.

My selection: 509 = 2*(6 + 4)*25 + 8 + 1


Round 9: GREY DENIM

I looked at the -ING ending, but that Y did not seem to play nicely with the rest.  In the end I had no answer.  I really should have written down the non ING letters and then I might possibly have got there.

My selection: [no answer]
Best: REMEDYING