NG 159

One year since the last episode was aired.  Happy anniversary, Sam!

Also, new game 159 is now available.


Round 1: U I O E D T C N E

I had OUTED, DOCENT ("a guide, as in a zoo, museum, etc., often a volunteer with some training"), INDUCTEE, and EDUCTION ("the act of educing", where to educe is "to draw forth or bring out").  After time I noted COUNTED and NOTICED as sevens.

The other eight here is DUECENTO ("the 13th century, used commonly with reference to Italian art and literature of that period").  The other sevens are ENTICED, CODEINE, CONDUIT / NOCTUID (any one of a certain family of moths), DETINUE ("an old common-law form of action to recover possession or the value of articles of personal property wrongfully detained"), and CTENOID ("having rough-edged scales").

My selection: INDUCTEE


Round 2: A E I N R T C P N

I had RAIN, RETAIN, CERTAIN, PERTAIN, and CANTRIP ("Originally Scottish a spell, as cast by a witch").  After time I also noted PARETIC ("someone who has general paresis", where paresis is "incomplete motor paralysis").

Seven seems to be the limit; the others are PAINTER / REPAINT, ANCIENT, ENTRAIN, PANNIER, CANNIER, PINNACE ("a light sailing ship, especially one formerly used in attendance on a larger vessel"), PINNATE ("resembling a feather"), PICRATE (a type of chemical), and CERATIN (variant spelling of KERATIN: "a fibrous protein found in the outer layer of human and animal skin, also in horn, feathers, hair, hoofs, nails, etc.").

My selection: CERTAIN


Round 3: Target 366 from 25 100 75 50 4 4

The offset from 350 is 16, which is 4*4, so this should be feasible.  I started with the tweaked version 366 = 4*(100 + 4) - 50, then looked for the untweaked version by utilising the large numbers better, finding 366 = (100 + 75)*50/25 + 4*4.

My selection: 366 = 4*(100 + 4) - 50


Round 4: E E U F M G F T M

I had FUME, GUFF, briefly toyed with MUFFET but rightly rejected it, and FEMME.  I pondered whether gumshoes might be occupied by GUMFEET, and I also noted down EMMET (an archaic term for an ant) but was not surprised that later checking showed it was not listed in the Macquarie.  After time I wrote down another five of FUMET ("a strong, well-reduced stock made from fish or game").

FEMME and FUMET seem to be the only fives, with nothing longer available.

My selection: FEMME


Round 5: I E A O N S B D C

I had AEON, AEONS, BONES, CABINS, reluctantly rejected BACONISED (correctly so), SECONDI (plural of SECONDO: "the second or lower part in a duet, especially in piano duets"), ABSCOND, and BANDIES (BANDIE being colloquial for a bandicoot).  After time I noted BEACONS and DEACONS as two more sevens.

Lots more sevens -- I'll just mention BODICES and CANDIES -- but the eight is DIOCESAN.

My selection: ABSCOND
Best: DIOCESAN


Round 6: Target 662 from 75 6 8 10 3 9

The standard method easily applies, giving 662 = 9*75 - 10 - 3.  Then I looked at using the 10 as a multiplier and found the more complicated option of 662 = (75 - 9)*10 + 6/3.

My selection: 662 = 9*75 - 10 - 3


Round 7: D Q I A R W O R A

I had RAID, RADIO, and AIRWARD.  I would have liked to turn that W upside-down to make DIORAMA.

AIRWARD is the only seven; it's just fives after that, with the others being AWARD, RADAR, ARROW, ARDOR (variant spelling of ARDOUR), and AROID (a plant of the family that includes taro).

My selection: AIRWARD


Round 8: Target 235 from 75 25 1 3 8 4

I started by looking at 8*20 + 75, getting the solution 235 = 8*(25 - 4 - 1) + 75.  Then I pulled out the factor of five to get 235 = (4 + 1)*(75 - 25 - 3), and finally tweaked my way to a four-number solution with 235 = 8*(25 + 4) + 3.

My selection: 235 = 8*(25 + 4) + 3


Round 9: STOLE ITEM

I'm not sure what led me to find the answer here; I started with TOTEMISE and somehow on adding the L that mutated into MISTLETOE.

My selection: MISTLETOE (3.9s)