NG 580

New game 580 is now available.

The re-run is episode 308; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: I O R L S E Z D C

I had ROIL, ROILS, SOLDIER, and COLDIES.  It seemed like there should be an eight if we left out the Z, but I could not find it if so.  (It wasn't helping that I kept getting distracted by the not-there DISCLOSER.)

It turns out that there is indeed an eight, and it's one that I've found before: SCLEROID ("Biology hard or indurated").  Bother.  The other sevens are RECOILS / COILERS (COILER: "Obsolete an idler; tramp") and SCOLDER.

My selection: SOLDIER
Best: SCLEROID


Round 2: A K R E T D W E E

I had RAKE, TAKER, TRADE, WATERED, and TWEAKED.  RETWEAKED was always a step too far.

The other sevens are TWEAKED and WREAKED.

My selection: WATERED


Round 3: Target 114 from 25 75 9 4 8 3

The target is 6*19, but I started with addition instead: 114 = 75 + 25 + 9 + 8 - 3.  Then I noted that 6*19 is also 3*38 and found an alternative solution og 114 = (25 + 9 + 4)*3.

My selection: 114 = (25 + 9 + 4)*3


Round 4: T D H E U N I T A

I had DUET, TUNED, HUNTED, HAUNTED, and TAUNTED / ATTUNED.  I was a little tempted by UNTITHED but was right to avoid it.  After time I checked up on UNHATTED; it is not valid either, although it did show up in my Scrabble list.

The other sevens are TAINTED and AUDIENT ("a listener").

My selection: HAUNTED


Round 5: N M E T C S I O N

I had CENT, SCENT, INSECT, INCOMES, TENSION, CONSENT, SECTION / NOTICES, and saw CENTIMOS but knew from past experience that the Macquarie does not list it.

There are two eights here, though: MENTIONS and CONTEMNS (CONTEMN: "Archaic to treat disdainfully or scornfully; view with contempt").  The other sevens are MENTION, CONTEMN, INTONES, MOISTEN / MONTIES*, MESONIC, ENTOMIC ("of or relating to insects"), and CONNIES (CONNIE: "Chiefly Victoria Colloquial a tram conductor") / CONINES (CONINE being a variant spelling of CONIINE, an alkaloid that is the deadly part of hemlock).

My selection: INCOMES
Best: MENTIONS


Round 6: Target 886 from 75 50 1 5 3 8

The target is near 8*111, and I used that to write down 887 = 8*(75 + 50 - 3*5) - 1.  That is invalid, though, as I made a mental slip; it actually evaluates to 879.  Fortunately I considered other options within time; the target is 11 away from 875, and that turned out to be tweakable to a solution: 886 = (8 + 3)*(75 + 1) + 50.  Phew!

My selection: 886 = (8 + 3)*(75 + 1) + 50


Round 7: P R C B A H D E U

I had CRAB, PARCH, PARCHED, and DEBAUCH.

The other seven is CUDBEAR ("a violet colouring matter obtained from various lichens [...]").

My selection: PARCHED


Round 8: Target 869 from 100 1 9 8 4 9

Starting with 9*100 seemed attractive, but I was unable to then tweak my way close enough to satisfy me.  Working up from 8*100 instead proved much more profitable: 869 = 8*(100 + 9) - (4 - 1).  Then I realised that it was not necessary to tweak when working down from 900 and found the alternative solution 869 = 9*100 - (4*8 - 1).

My selection: 869 = 8*(100 + 9) - (4 - 1)


Round 9: SENDS SOIL

With so many S's the likelihood of a -LESS or -NESS ending was much larger.  For some reason it still took me quite a while to find SOLIDNESS, though.

My selection: SOLIDNESS (10.1s)