Ok, here I am sitting in front of my TV watching a pair of pretty girls host a naija puzzle show .

The question - How many times can you trace the word MINT in this grid?

M T N I M T
I I N I N N
N T N I M I
T T M N M M
M I N T I M

Basically, viewers are meant to call or text in their answers. I think (or i know) I figured out the answer but I can't get through to the show to let them know my answer. To my utter frustration, caller after caller get through and keep REPEATING the wrong answer. The prize money went up to about $4000, aaargh!

Frankly, I don't give two hoots about the dough but I'll love to get a consensus on my algorithm for solving the puzzle.

Personally, I think only mathematicians, logicians and programmers are suited to solving this one efficiently so my question to you guys is - How many times can you trace the word Mint in the grid?

Please post only the answer for now, we can post algorithms when everyone has submitted. 

49. using the naijafan algorithm

7 - I have way too much time on my hands  . I put together a 'not so pretty' js function to count it. (Oh I'm also guessing that you mean horizontally, vertically and diagonally only)

Yoke:

7 - I have way too much time on my hands . I put together a 'not so pretty' js function to count it. (Oh I'm also guessing that you mean horizontally, vertically and diagonally only)

Horizontally, vertically, diagonally, snakeically i.e. in any direction you can fathom e.g. 'u', 's', 'o' etc

Horizontally, vertically, diagonally, snakeically  i.e. in any direction you can fathom e.g. 'u', 's', 'o' etc

Oh that sucks, back to the drawing board,