Behold, elegance:

digits = { "one": [1,2], "two": [2,2], "three": [3,4], "four": [4,3], "five": [5,3], "six": [6,2], "seven": [7,4], "eight": [8,4], "nine": [9,3], "1": [1,1], "2": [2,1], "3": [3,1], "4": [4,1], "5": [5,1], "6": [6,1], "7": [7,1], "8": [8,1], "9": [9,1] }

and what comes afterwards is even more elegant, for it works!