NG 43

New game 43 is up.


Round 1: N R C O E R A O T

I had CORN, CRONE, CORNER, CROONER, ENACTOR, and CARTOON.  Just a short while ago I picked up my notes to write this post and immediately saw CORONATE ("having or wearing a crown, coronet, or the like").  Just a touch too late. *chuckles*

CORONATE is the only eight.  The other sevens are CORONET, REACTOR / CREATOR, CORONER, and CORONAE (one plural form of CORONA).


Round 2: F I O Q B M H A T

A much less nice mix, ergh.  I had BATH, ATOM, MOTIF, BIOTA, amused myself by thinking of BIOMATH (a lisped version of BIOMASS, perhaps), and then FATHOM.

FATHOM is the only six; the other fives are AMBIT ("boundary; limit; sphere"), FAITH, and HABIT.


Round 3: Target 442 from 25 7 1 10 3 5

The standard method suggests making this as 450 - 8, which is handy since we have two clear ways of making the 8 (5 + 3 or 7 + 1).  450 is 18*25 so that works out easily to give 442 = (10 + 8)*25 - 8, where both those forms of 8 can be used; the form I used was 442 = (10 + 5 + 3)*25 - 7 - 1.

Then I looked at the factorisation; the factor of 2 is clear, and I recognised the cofactor of 221 as 13*17.  Mixing in the 2 with either of those two larger primes led me to 442 = (25 + 1)*(10 + 7) and 442 = (7*5 - 1)*(10 + 3).


Round 4: C O A G C D R I R

I had CODA, CARGO, CORGI, and CORRIDA ("a bullfighting event").  I recalled that from one of the show's episodes (episode 388, it turns out); I guess some things stick in the memory.

The sixes are ACCORD and RICRAC (variant form of RICKRACK: "a narrow zigzag braid used to trim clothing, etc.").


Round 5: N M L T U A K I A

I had TALK, MANTUA ("a kind of loose gown formerly worn by women"; I mentioned this in episode 300 and episode 418), and ANIMAL / LAMINA ("a thin plate, scale, or layer").

The sevens are MATINAL ("relating to the morning or to matins") and ALUMINA (a particular oxide of aluminium).


Round 6: Target 174 from 50 75 3 2 10 9

Making this as 175 - 1 is pretty clear, especially as there are two easy ways to make a 1; I went with 174 = 2*50 + 75 - (10 - 9).  Then I looked for a way to make it as 2*87, emerging with 174 = (3*9 + 10 + 50*2 and completely missing the straightforward 174 = (75 + 9 + 3)*2.  Still within time I added a final option of 174 = 75 + 9*(10 + 3 - 2).

After time I went for 125 + 49, noting down the alternative solution of 174 = 75 + 50 + (10 - 3)*(9 - 2).


Round 7: W T P E O F L E A

I had WEPT, POET, TOWEL, ELOPE, the ball game PELOTA, FOLATE / FOETAL, and PEAFOWL.  Then I talked myself out of PEAFOWL and stayed with FOETAL for six.

Alas, PEAFOWL is valid (a term that refers to either a peacock or a peahen) and the only seven.  The other six is the chemical term OLEATE.


Round 8: Target 411 from 100 8 5 9 6 7

An interesting set of small numbers; all distinct, but a bit large and minor adjustments may be difficult.  I first considered making this as 500 - 89, and after some experimentation emerged with 411 = 5*100 - 7*(8 + 6) + 9.  (Just now I have seen that the tweak of 411 = 5*(100 - 7) - 9*6 was probably easier.)  Then I wondered if I could make it as 400 + 11, and managed to do that with 411 = 8*100/(9 - 7) + 6 + 5.


Round 9: SWAT CACHE

Compounds can be tricky, and that was certainly the case for me here.  I got there just in the nick of time, finding WATCHCASE at the 29.9s mark.