NG 65

New game 65 is now available.


Round 1: S H N D E A I N R

I had DENS, HANDS, HANDIER, DINNERS, and correctly rejected HANDRINSE.

There are lots of sevens here, with some of the more common ones being HARDENS, HINDERS, SHADIER, SARDINE / SANDIER, INNARDS, HERNIAS, and SHINNED.

But there is one word longer than seven to be had: INSNARED (INSNARE being a variant form of ENSNARE).

My selection: DINNERS


Round 2: S R R E I E P O C

I had ERRS, RISER, REPRISE, COPIERS, and correctly rejected RECOPIERS (somehow overlooking the valid RECOPIES in the process).

The eights here are RECOPIES (as mentioned) and PIERCERS / REPRICES.  There's many sevens, of which the more common are PIERCER / REPRICE, CRISPER, RESPIRE, and PRECISE / PIERCES / RECIPES.

My selection: REPRISE


Round 3: Target 677 from 100 25 2 9 1 9

The standard method applies easily, and anyone familiar with the 75-times tables should find 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2.

My selection: 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2


Round 4: C M R A O B D U T

I had CRAM, CAROM, COBRA, and ABDUCTOR.

ABDUTOR is the only eight; the only seven is TAMBOUR ("a drum").

The sixes are rather more plentiful: COMBAT, ABDUCT, TABOUR (variant spelling of TABOR: "a kind of small drum [...]") / RUBATO ("the technique of varying the tempo within a bar of music without either lengthening or shortening the bar"), TURACO ("a type of bird"), CRAMBO ("a game in which one person or side must find a rhyme to a word or a line of verse given by another"), and MADURO ("(of cigars) strong and darkly coloured").

My selection: ABDUCTOR


Round 5: S L S H A A E F L

I had LASS, SALSA, and FLASHES.

The other seven is FELLAHS (FELLAH: "a peasant or agricultural labourer in an Arab country, as Egypt, Syria, etc.").  There's nearly an eight, but ASH FALLS is two words (ASH FALL: "a rain of airborne volcanic ash falling from the cloud which follows an eruption").

A few sixes again, of which I'll just mention HASSLE / LASHES and SHEAFS (that's a verb form, not a noun one -- the plural of SHEAF is SHEAVES).

My selection: FLASHES


Round 6: Target 998 from 100 50 1 1 7 2

Getting one away was easy enough with 999 = (7 + 2 + 1)*100 - 1.  Then I spotted the divide-by-five opportunity that I often struggle with, and found a solution: 998 = 100*50/(7 - 2) - 1 - 1.  A pleasing find!

Of course, the role of 2 and 1 + 1 can be swapped in that solution.  There is one other solution, that makes it as 2*499.  That is 998 = ((7 + 1)*50 + 100 - 1)*2.

My selection: 998 = 100*50/(7 - 2) - 1 - 1


Round 7: S R G T I O U C E

I had GRITS, TRIOS / RIOTS, SCOURGE, and OUTCRIES.

The other eight is an anagram of OUTCRIES: CITREOUS ("lemon yellow; greenish yellow").

There's a fair few sevens, also: GOUTIER, GOITRES / GOITERS (American spelling) / GORIEST, GUSTIER (but not GUTSIER), EROTICS (EROTIC as a noun: "an erotic poem"), CITROUS (variant spelling of CITRUS for the meaning "of or relating to [citrus] trees or shrubs"), SCOUTER / CROUTES (CROUTE: "a piece of fried or toasted bread on which meat dishes or small savouries may be served"), OUTRIGS, and ICTERUS (another name for jaundice).

My selection: OUTCRIES


Round 8: Target 538 from 75 50 4 7 4 5

The 75-times tables prove handy again, as I soon found 538 = 7*75 + 4 + 4 + 5.  I looked for a way to make this as 550 - 12 while using 4*(7 - 4) for the 12 and found the tweaking option 538 = 4*(75 - (7 - 4) + 5*50.  Then I found the simpler method of 538 = (4 + 4)*75 - 50 - 7 - 5.

My selection: 538 = 7*75 + 4 + 4 + 5


Round 9: VENEER OAT

This seemed like another round where it would be easy to lose it by buzzing in early with a wrong answer; I almost did so with ENERVATE, RENOVATE, and VENERATE before I concentrated on the OVER- fragment and found OVEREATEN as the answer.

My selection: OVEREATEN (19.6s)