Tuesday 15 January 2013

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.

8 comments:

Jan said...

Always nice to finish with a solved conundrum, especially when it is within time!

CROONER
FATHOM
(10+5+3)*25 - (7+1) = 442
ACCORD
MANUAL
2*50 + 75 - (10-9) = 174
FOLATE
9-7=2. 8/2*100 + 6 + 5 = 411
WATCHCASE - 14.6 secs

Mike Backhouse said...

Not my best game with three 4's. Hard game for me, but well done to you Jan for not getting below a 6!

TRACER
TOMB
(10+7+1)*25-(5+3)=442
RAID
TANK
Jan's way
PLATE
(9-5)*100+6+7=413 (2 off)
WATCHCASE 45s

Victor said...

Nice work on the conundrum Jan, I got mixed up with all the potential compound words (and WATCHCASE wasn't in my vocabulary).

1. REACTOR
2. FATHOM
3. 442 = (10 + 7)*(25 + 1)
4. CORRIDA
5. UNLIT
6. 174 = 3*(50 + 10 - 2)
7. FOLATE
8. 411 = 8/(9 - 7)*100 + 6 + 5
9. -

Jan said...

Well done on getting the conundrum too Mike.

Victor, thanks to you, I have just learnt a new word. Never heard of CORRIDA before (a bull fighting event). Thanks

Geoff Bailey said...

Very nice speed on that conundrum, Jan -- it gave you the win against me, incidentally. Although if I'd seen CORONATE in time...

Mike: I do like those 4's, though, particularly TOMB. It's not the easiest combination to spot. And you did well to get the conundrum in just 45 seconds, I'd say.

CORRIDA was a rather good find, Victor. David found CORRIDAS in episode 388, incidentally.

Sam Gaffney said...

Very strong showing from Jan.

1. REACTOR (RACONTEUR nearly appeared)
2. FATHOM
3. 442 = (10 + 7)*(25 + 1)
4. ACCORD
5. MANUAL (omitted in Geoff's post?)
6. 174 = 2*50 + 75 -10 +9
7. PEAFOWL
8. 411 = 8/(9 - 7)*100 + 6 + 5
9. 18.8s WATCHCASE - I was not familiar with this word, but it looked plausible.

Geoff Bailey said...

Nice game, Sam. And yes, I did not mention MANUAL or the other various sixes for that round, just the sevens.

Sam Gaffney said...

Ah yes, I see now that the sixes were just what you found.