Wednesday 5 December 2012

NG 14

New game after the cut.


Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

218

Round 4:

Round 5:

Round 6:

652

Round 7:

Round 8:

134

Round 9:

Spoiler space

10 comments:

Jan said...

Ok, here we go...

DOMAINS
BAITED, BATHED, HEATED etc
8*25 + (5-3)*9 = 218
COSTED
BROCK
7*100 - 50 + 75/25 = 653
STEARIN, TEARING, SAUNTER
after time INGRATES
75+ 50 + 10 - (8-7) = 134
KITTENISH - 4 minutes. I was surprised this is a valid word

Mike Backhouse said...

Well done as usual Jan.

DUMPS
BATHED
9*25-8=217 (1 off)
SITED
x BRACK (thought I'd guess, to no avail)
Jan's way
STRANGE
Jan's way
x

Victor said...

My answers;

1. PODIUMS
2. HABITED
3. 218 = 8*25 + 9*(5 - 3)
4. COSTED
5. BUCKO
6. 653 = 25*(75 - 50) + 4*7 (after time; 652 = (7 + 3)*75 - 100 + 50/25 )
7. SIGNATURE
8. 134 = 75 + 50 + 7 + (10 - 8)
9. Not even close

Mike Backhouse said...

Victor

SIGNATURE is pretty darn impressive.

Jan said...

Yes, well done Victor, and with HABITED. And good getting to 652.

Thanks Mike

Geoff Bailey said...

Some nice results on display again; that second numbers round was certainly a tester! I'm afraid I have to point out that Victor's after-time 652 is not valid -- there is no 3 in the mix.

Longer breakdown next, but the summary:

1. IMPOUNDS
2. HABITED
3. 218 = 9*8*3 + 50/25
4. DITTIES
5. COBRA
6. 653 = 7*100 - 50 + 75/25
7. SIGNATURE
8. 134 = (50/25)*(75 - 8)
9. KITTENISH (15 - 20s)

Twice exactly the letter I wanted turned up to make a long word (IMPOUNDS and SIGNATURE). It would have been three times if a final consonant were on the cards for round 2 (DIABETES).

JT said...

I'm back!! looks like everyone doing well without me...

NOMADS
BATHED
218-(50-3)x5+8-25
COTTED
BURKA
651-(100-4-75/25)*7
RATINGS
134-75+50+7+10-8
x

Geoff Bailey said...

Round 1: M P N O I A D S U

I had PION and floundered for some time; I was thinking that a final U would save me with IMPOUNDS, and then it turned up and I could not better it.

It is the only eight; the sevens are IMPOUND, PODIUMS, SPUMONI, and DOMAINS / DAIMONS (variant spelling of DAEMONS, guardian spirits).


Round 2: E E T B D H I A E

I had thought that a final S would have been nice for DIABETES; it would have turned up, too, but my selection process called for a fifth vowel, alas. I had BEET, BETIDE, BEHEAD, DEBATE, HEATED, and HABITED. I might not have got that last within time -- it's a bit unclear.

The other sixes are BATHED, BAITED, and IDEATE.


Round 3: Target 218 from 50 25 5 3 8 9

I did some premultiplication as the numbers went up and had observed that the last three smalls multiplied to give 216. When the target was revealed it was a short step to 218 = 9*8*3 + 50/25. For good measure I added an alternative solution of 218 = 8*25 + (5 - 3)*9.


Round 4: I E I S C T T O D

I had CITES, a dubious (and invalid) DOTTIES, and then the save alteration to DITTIES (TIDIEST, too, although I only wrote that down after time). It was not helpful, but I noticed that replacing a T with an N would allow INSECTOID.

There's almost an eight; OSTEITIS is listed as "inflammation of the substance of bone", but not the associated adjective of OSTEITIC.

The other sevens are DEISTIC and COEDITS / CESTOID ("(of worms) ribbonlike").


Round 5: B K R U O C A R R

I had ROCK, CROCK, CRACK, COBRA, and BURRO.

There were two sixes here after all; I was never going to find BUCKRA ("a white person (used among the peoples of the African coast, people of African descent in the West Indies and the Southern US)"), but ARBOUR was findable.


Round 6: Target 652 from 50 25 100 75 4 7

A very tough target to reach within time -- Sam might do it, but not many others -- but getting to one away is pretty approachable; I went with 653 = 7*100 - 50 + 75/25.

There's only the one solution to this, and it can be worked toward with enough time. The basic idea is to use the technique that Sam did in getting to 821 that memorable time: Form one value, multiply by one large number, add or subtract another large number, and divide it all by 25. The net effect is to use the large numbers to make two small ones instead of just one.

It can be hard to get started, though. The helpful observation here is that 4*7 is 28, and 2*28 is 56 which is at least close to the desired vicinity. The offset is 4, which is 100/25 and suggests that we are looking to make the target as 2*328 - 4, or rather as (50*328 - 100)/25. The 28 is 4*7, and we are very fortunate that the 300 can be made as 4*75 so a quick tweak sees one home: 652 = (50*4*(75 + 7) - 100)/25.

I should add that I did not see this, even though I spent some time looking for this kind of technique. But I can see how I could have seen it, if you see what I mean, and that's what I am attempting to explain.


Round 7: G N T A U E R S I

I had GNAT and GAUNT. I was wondering at the end if a vowel was really the right option (since I frequently comment that -ING with four vowels is less good), but then saw that the I would allow SIGNATURE for nine. And then the I arrived and all was good.

The other nine is GAUNTRIES, with GAUNTRY being a variant spelling of GANTRY.


Round 8: Target 134 from 25 75 50 7 10 8

I had a bit of a blind spot here, seeing that 125 was easy but thinking that the small numbers would have difficulty producing the required 9. After time I realised that I had missed the obvious of 134 = 50 + 75 + 10 + 7 - 8. In any case, I found a solution within time as 2*67: 134 = (50/25)*(75 - 8).

After time I also found the kitchen sink of 134 = 50 + 8*10 + 7 - 75/25.


Round 9: THIN KITES

My first thought was for THINKIEST, which seemed arrant nonsense. I was on the verge of giving up when I considered the -ISH ending and saw KITTENISH.

Geoff Bailey said...

Welcome back, JT!

Sam Gaffney said...

If you're not sure you got HABITED in time in Round 2, Geoff, join the club... (not in this particular game, though).

My rusty numbers have been annoying since coming back, but rounds like 6&7 make these blog posts great fun.

POUNDS - doubted PODIUMS (PODIA), didn't think of IMPOUNDS at all.
HABITED
218 = 9*25 - 50/5 + 3
COSTED
CROAK
652 = ((75+7)*4*50-100)/25, written with 16 seconds to go. Still got it (on heavyweights).
SIGNATURE - straight away, as when it came up in an early Oz Countdown episode. I'd learnt this word a while ago, but it is a tough spot - great work from Geoff & Victor.
134 = (50/25)*(75 - 8)
KITTENISH ~10s, though might have tried the plausible THINKIEST in the heat of a real game.