NG 598

New game 598 is now available.

The re-run is episode 328; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: S E A G O L E A D

I had SAGE, was unsure about OSAGE (not valid; the only matching entry is "Osage orange", so that's no good), GOALS, GAOLED, DOSAGE, SEALED, and ELODEAS (ELODEA: "any species of the submerged water plant genus Elodea [...]").  After time I noted another six of EAGLES.

The other seven in this mix is GELADAS (GELADA being a type of baboon).

My selection: ELODEAS


Round 2: E O I S N E N M R

I had NOISE, NOSIER, MERINOS, and EMERSION ("the act or fact of emerging").  Unfortunately, I then talked myself out of EMERSION.  Bother.

The other eights are NOMINEES and REINSMEN (REINSMAN: "(in trotting and pacing) a man who drives a gig").  The other sevens are NOMINEE, ERMINES, MOREENS (MOREEN: "a heavy fabric of wool, or wool and cotton, commonly watered, used for curtains, petticoats, etc."), NERINES (NERINE being a type of plant), and RONNIES (RONNIE is a South Australian term for "a small stone that can be thrown; pebble").

Although IRONMAN is listed with a one-word sense ("a contestant in a sporting event in which male competitors swim, ride bikes and run in succession"), no explicit plural is listed and so IRONMEN* is not valid under a strict reading.  I'm not even sure it matches the revised rules I work with, hence its separate grouping.

My selection: MERINOS
Best: EMERSION


Round 3: Target 703 from 75 7 3 8 6 4

The simplest nearby multiple of 75 is 8*75 = 600.  The offset is 103, and I recognised that as one away from 104, which is 8*13.  The tweak works out and the remaining offset can be made, giving me 703 = 8*(75 + 7 + 6) - (4 - 3).  Then I looked at the nearer value of 9*75 = 675, and the offset of 28 was conveniently makeable.  That gave me the shorter solution 703 = (6 + 3)*75 + 4*7.

My selection: 703 = (6 + 3)*75 + 4*7


Round 4: K B T A A E U P D

I had ABATE, UPDATE, and UPTAKE.

Not very promising letters, but there is a seven: PUKATEA (a type of tree found in New Zealand).

My selection: UPTAKE
Best: PUKATEA


Round 5: A A O L M F E T S

I had LAMA, FLAME, MEATLOAF (not valid -- it is only listed as two words), was tempted by MEATLOAFS, FOLATES, MALTOSE, and MALTASE / MALATES.

The valid eight here is OATMEALS.  The other sevens are OATMEAL, FLOTSAM, and TAMALES.

My selection: [invalid -- MEATLOAF]
Best: OATMEALS


Round 6: Target 554 from 100 75 50 2 1 1

It's not a helpful mix, which is generally the case when the small numbers are that small.  I'd hoped to get to 550 with the help of a 3 for multiplying, but it just does not work.  (If that 50 had been a 25, though, then (2 + 1)*(100 + 75) + 25 would have done the job.)  That would have left a 1 over to get nearer, but without it 550 was the best I could do with 550 = 2*((1 + 1)*75 + 100) + 50.

It turns out that 550 is the best that can be done on this mix.

My selection: 550 = 2*((1 + 1)*75 + 100) + 50


Round 7: I I G T R F C O S

I had GRIT, wondered about GRIFT (invalid; GRIFTER is listed, but not the backformed verb), CROFT, CROFTS, CORGIS, and SORITIC (not in the Macquarie, but in some sources it is given as the adjective derived from SORITES; instead, the Macquarie prefers SORITICAL).


Six is the best to be done; the others are FORTIS ("pronounced with considerable muscular tension and breath pressure, resulting in a strong fricative or explosive sound; f and p are fortis, as compared to lenis v and b") and FISTIC ("of boxing; pugilistic").

My selection: [invalid -- SORITIC]
Best: CORGIS


Round 8: Target 991 from 75 8 5 6 2 9

My first go at the standard method got me to one away with 990 = (8 + 5)*75 + 9 + 6.  Switching tacks to the further-away multiple of 75 gave me lots of tweaking opportunities, and I managed to get that to work with 991 = 6*2*(75 + 8) - 5.

My selection: 991 = 6*2*(75 + 8) - 5


Round 9: TOTAL CORN

I was completely lost on this one.  AT CONTROL was the best I could do, and that was not very useful.  It had the right CONTR- fragment, but I missed the adjustment.

My selection: [no answer]
Best: CONTRALTO