Wednesday 21 November 2012

Ep 98 [SF1] again, plus a new game

Here's the coverage of episode 98 for anyone playing along.

There's another new game after the cut.


Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

168

Round 4:

Round 5:

Round 6:

274

Round 7:

Round 8:

350

Round 9:


8 comments:

Jan said...

QF first

CONGEES (7)
Invalid - frack - saw your comments on this at the other blog
10-8=2 8-2=6 6*75+1=451 (7) - one closer than Lily!
POLENTA (0)
FOLDERS (7)
5-3=2 (7+2)*100 + 6 = 906 (10)
DAUBS (0)
7*(4+2) = 42. 42*10 -[(3+3)*2] = 408 (7)
-
(I was tied with David going into the conundrum, but Andrew was way too good for me - my only round win was the first numbers)

Your game - the numbers were nicer tonight!
ACTIONS
BATTLES
100+50 + (75/25)*6 = 168
PATCH
STONIER it felt like there should be a full monty here, but I could not find it
3*100 - 25 - (8-7) = 274
SLAGGED
8-6=2 (2+1)*100 + 50 = 350
SYMPHONIC - 1 minute

Thanks Geoff for these extra games

Jan said...

Is NOTERISES valid?

Mike Backhouse said...

Did so badly against contestants I couldn't bring myself to post yesterday. Today's not much better but here goes:

CHOSEN
x-FRACK (I notice Sam picked this originally and that it was invalid, unless the Macquarie has been updated to include this mining term he said hopefully?)
(8-1)*75-(8*9)=453 (1 off- I beat Andrew!)
LEANT
RIFLED
David's way
BUSH (grrr)
outside range (but saw 406 after time)
x

I did a bit better in the extra game,I think

PANTS
BATTLES
Jan's way
THICK
STONERS
(7+4)*25=275 (1 off)
SLAGGED
(6+1)*50=350
x

Jan said...

Mike, I reckon both of us beating Andrew in anything is a real triumph. And we also beat Lily in that maths round! But, it will be good once the next two episodes are over, and we won't be thrashed by the likes of Andrew and Naween

Victor said...

Jan, the full monty was SEROTINES, I think I saw it on the show before, and also it comes from STONIER + E (like the RETSINA mix, STONIER is also quite fertile so I learned it, and ENTRIES).

Struggling with these conundrums lately.

1. AUCTIONS
2. TESTABLE (?) (not sure about validity, online Macquarie seems to be screwy lately)
3. 168 = 75/25*(50 + 8) - 6
4. HATCH
5. SEROTINES
6. 274 = 3*100 - 25 - (8 - 7)
7. SAGGED
8. 350 = (6 + 1)*50
9. X (29s - HYPNOCISM)

Geoff Bailey said...

First off, my answers:

AUCTIONS
TESTABLE
168 = (75 - 50 - 100/25)*8
PHOTIC (I wimped out of APHOTIC, alas)
SENTRIES
274 = 7*25 + 100 - (4 - 3)
SLAGGED
350 = (6 + 8)*25
SYMPHONIC (a couple of seconds, but in a different form)


With regard to episode 98, I'm afraid that my physical copy of the Macquarie has still not changed -- no FRACK in it. Nice work on that first numbers round, Mike and Jan! One away was a really excellent result, and doing better than Lily is always to be treasured.


No luck with NOTERISES, but as Victor points out SEROTINES is the full monty there. A final A instead of that E would have made this round much easier! A SEROTINE is a type of bat found in Europe; it has showed up potentially in episode 194, but that's the only time for this blog. I expect Sam will find it when/if he plays this game.

Also, well done on spotting it, Victor! TESTABLE is also good (I was a little concerned about it, but the phrase "testable hypothesis" comes up in science debates fairly often). The safer anagram is SEATBELT.


With respect to the conundrum timing, my generator originally presented the letters in a different form (HYMNPISCO). Pisco is a type of brandy, but it's not listed in the Macquarie so I had to choose an alternative breakdown. That makes any comparisons of timing dubious, unfortunately. I was pleased to find the NOSY CHIMP split, though.

Geoff Bailey said...

And now the longer breakdown:

Round 1: N P S T I O U A C

I had PINTS, POINTS, wondered about both OUTSPIN (invalid) and SPINOUT (requires a hyphen), then AUCTIONS / CAUTIONS and CAPTIONS. I rightly rejected both OUTPANICS and CUSPATION, and indeed there is no nine.

The other eights are CAPTIOUS, UTOPIANS, and OPUNTIAS.


Round 2: O A T B S E T L E

I had BOAT, BOAST, BLOATS, TABLETS, and TESTABLE. I was a little uncertain about it, but the phrase "testable hypothesis" gets used in science discussions a lot, and it is valid.

The other eight is an anagram of it: SEATBELT. The other sevens are BOTTLES, BATTLES, BOATELS / OBLATES, OLEATES, and TELEOST (a type of fish).


Round 3: Target 168 from 25 75 100 50 6 8

I focused on the factorisation of 8*21, getting 168 = (75 - 50 - 100/25)*8 and 168 = (25 + 100/50 - 6)*8. Then I looked at applying the standard method, and that also works: 168 = 100 + 75 - (6 + 8)/(50/25).


Round 4: O H T H A I P C K

I had OATH, PATCH, THICK, PHOTIC ("of or relating to light"), and APHOTIC ("without light"). Then for some reason I talked myself out of APHOTIC and stayed with PHOTIC. Bleah.

The other sixes are HAPTIC ("of or relating to the sense of touch"), ATOPIC (adjective from ATOPY: "a genetic tendency to develop allergic reactions"), and PHATIC ("of speech used to make social contact, without necessarily conveying a particular meaning").


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

I had TONS, TONES, ORIENTS, SENIORS, and SENTRIES. I really wanted a final A instead for NOTARISES.

As Victor pointed out, the full monty here was SEROTINES (SEROTINE being a type of European bat). The other eights are SEROTINE, ESSONITE (variant spelling of HESSONITE, a type of garnet), and ESTRONES (ESTRONE being a variant spelling of OESTRONE, a hormone).


Round 6: Target 274 from 100 25 4 8 7 3

The standard method is clear to try, so we want to keep either (3,4) or (7,8) free. I started with 274 = 7*25 + 100 - (4 - 3) and then used the other pair for 274 = 3*100 - 25 - (8 - 7). I spent a while trying to make this as 250 + 3*8, but without success.


Round 7: G C S I A G L E D

I had SLAG, SILAGE, and SLAGGED. I also considered CLAGGED, but the Macquarie turns out not to list CLAG as a verb; I might have got this wrong if I had found CLAGGED before SLAGGED.

The other seven is DAGGLES (DAGGLE: "to drag or trail through mud, water, etc.; draggle").


Round 8: Target 350 from 50 100 25 6 1 8

An easy numbers round to finish. I had 350 = 50*(6 + 1), 350 = 50*(8 - 1), and 350 = (6 + 8)*25.


Round 9: NOSY CHIMP

As mentioned in the previous comment, this was first presented to me as HYMNPISCO. I found SYMPHONIC fairly quickly in that form (one or two seconds), but would probably have taken longer with NOSY CHIMP.

Sam Gaffney said...

AUCTIONS
BATTLES (might have been quick enough for TESTABLE in normal conditions)
168 = (50+8)*75/25-6 or (50-8)*100/25
HOTPACK?
SEROTINES, Geoff was right, and kudos to Victor
274 = 7*25+100-4+3
LADIES
350 = (6 + 8)*25
~2s or so