NG 489

New game 489 is now available.


Round 1: R O D O I S M B U

I had DOOR, DOORS, BROOMS, SODIUM, and ODOURS.  After time I noted that an H instead of the U would allow RHOMBOIDS for nine.

Six is almost the limit, but there is a seven -- BOUDOIR -- and thus an eight of BOUDOIRS.  Aside from those, six is the best to be done.

My selection: SODIUM
Best: BOUDOIRS


Round 2: P A L E R E V E C

I had LEAP, PALER, was uncertain about LEAPER (not valid) / PEALER (valid), CLEVER, and REPLACE.

The other seven is CLEAVER.

My selection: REPLACE


Round 3: Target 760 from 100 25 3 9 6 1

My first desire was to make this as either 10*76 or 10*75 + 10, but that only got me to one away with 759 = (9 + 1)*(100 - 25) + 6  + 3.  It took a little while for me to remember that 6*125 = 750, and thus find the solution 760 = 6*(100 + 25) + 9 + 1.  Seen while writing this up was an alternative solution of 760 = (6 + 1)*(100 + 9) - 3.

My selection: 760 = 6*(100 + 25) + 9 + 1


Round 4: T F G T W A A A I

I could not find my way past four on this mix, with WAFT, WAIT, GAIT, GIFT, and TWIG.

I should have found the extension of WAIT to AWAIT for five, and TAIGA ("the coniferous, evergreen forests of sub-arctic lands, covering vast areas of northern North America and Eurasia") has been mentioned here a few times before.  The other fives are FATWA and TAFIA ("a kind of rum made from the lower grades of molasses, refuse sugar, etc."),

But there is a six here: WAIATA ("a Maori song").

My selection: WAFT
Best: WAIATA


Round 5: E R H O T S O I R

I had OTHER, OTHERS, SHOOTER / HOOTERS, and SHORTER.  After time I checked up on RETROISH, but was unsurprised that it was not listed.

The eights here are HERITORS (HERITOR being a variant form of INHERITOR) and ROOTSIER* (ROOTSY: "Music uncomplicated and uncommercial, demonstrating the fundamental qualities of traditions such as the blues and reggae").

The other sevens are HERITOR, RIOTERS / ROISTER, ROOSTER / ROOTERS / TOREROS (TORERO: "a bullfighter who fights on foot"), HOISTER / SHORTIE, RESHOOT / SOOTHER, RHETORS (RHETOR: "a master or teacher of rhetoric"), ROOTIER, SOOTIER, TOOSHIE ("Colloquial angry or upset"), and HORSIER*.

My selection: SHOOTER
Best: HERITORS


Round 6: Target 993 from 100 50 9 3 6 2

Starting by getting to 1000 seemed like a good idea, but I was only able to use that to get to one off within time, with 994 = (9 + 3 - 2)*100 - 6.  A bit after time I focused on putting the 9 and 2 aside to make the final offset of 7, and then found a solution of 993 = 3*6*50 + 100 - (9 - 2).

There are two other solutions: 993 = 9*100 + (50/2 + 6)*3 and 993 = (9*50/2 + 100 + 6)*3.

My selection: 994 = (9 + 3 - 2)*100 - 6  [1 off]
Best: 993 = 3*6*50 + 100 - (9 - 2)


Round 7: S I C O D L I M D

I had DISCO, and wanted a final E for DOMICILES.  But without that, DISCO was the best that I managed to do.

The sevens here are IDOLISM and DISCOID.  The sixes are IDIOMS / IODISM ("a morbid condition due to the use of iodine or its compounds"), MISDID, DILDOS, IODIDS (IODID being a variant form of IODIDE), and SOLIDI (plural of SOLIDUS: "a Roman gold coin [...]").

My selection: DISCO
Best: DISCOID


Round 8: Target 195 from 100 8 5 10 8 2

I went with a simple 195 = 2*100 - 5 here, and left it at that.

My selection: 195 = 2*100 - 5


Round 9: NAPPING EH

Not too much rearrangement required here.

My selection: HAPPENING (1.7s)