NG 617

New game 617 is now available.

The re-run is episode 347; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: D S R S E O B E N

I had DRESS, DROSS, BOSSED, BEDSORES, and flirted briefly with BOREDNESS but it was clearly not going to be valid.

The other eight is ENDORSES.  The other sevens are ENDORSE, BEDSORE / SOBERED, SENDERS / REDNESS / RESENDS, BENDERS, BONDERS, ENROBED, ENROBES, SEÑORES, and DESORBS (DESORB: "to release (a gas or other substance) from a condition of being adsorbed or absorbed").

My selection: BEDSORES


Round 2: N K D A M E R U I

I had DANK, NAMED, MARKED, and MAUNDER.

The eight that I missed was UNMARKED.  Oh, dear.  The other sevens are UNARMED / MANURED, RAMEKIN / MANKIER*, INARMED (INARM: "to hold in, or as in, the arms"), UNMAKER, UNRAKED, and URANIDE ("any of the sequence of natural radioactive elements which includes uranium").

My selection: MAUNDER
Best: UNMARKED


Round 3: Target 501 from 8 10 10 5 2 7

That pair of tens made this somewhat easier; I went with 501 = 5*10*10 + 8 - 7.

My selection: 5*10*10 + 8 - 7


Round 4: E A G L R U T A F

I had GALE, LAGER, LAAGER (a South African term for "a camp or encampment, especially within a circle of wagons"), was rightly dubious about FAULTER (not valid), and FALTER.  Just after time I finally saw the -FUL ending, and in quick succession found EARFUL, TEARFUL, and GRATEFUL.

GRATEFUL is the only eight.  The other seven is TEGULAR ("relating to or resembling a tile").

My selection: FALTER
Best: GRATEFUL


Round 5: E O S L M T C U N

I had LOSE, MOLES, CLOSET, COSTUME, CONSUME, CONTUSE, and COLUMNS.

The eight in this mix is NOCTULES (NOCTULE: "any of a number of large reddish insectivorous bats [...]").  The other sevens are NOCTULE, CONSULT, COUNSEL / UNCLOSE, ECONUTS, MESCLUN ("a salad of mixed edible leaves and herbs"), and MELTONS (MELTON: "a smooth heavy woollen cloth, used for coats, hunting jackets, etc.") / LOMENTS (LOMENT being a type of legume).

My selection: COSTUME
Best: NOCTULES


Round 6: Target 370 from 25 100 1 8 2 9

My first start was to get to 400, made as (8/2)*100.  The offset is 30, or 5 once the 25 is taken into account.  Happily, I spotted that the 2 could do double duty, giving me 370 = (8*100 - 9 - 1)/2 - 25.  Then I looked at the option of 37*10, and found another solution of 370 = (9*100/25 + 1)*(8 + 2).

While writing this up I found another option of 5*74 with 370 = (9 - 8/2)*(100 - 25 - 1).

My selection: 370 = (8*100 - 9 - 1)/2 - 25


Round 7: C S Q T R E I S A

I had CREST, TRICES, CASTERS / ACTRESS, and SCARIEST.

SCARIEST is the only eight.  The other sevens are RACIEST / STEARIC ("of or relating to suet or fat"), SATIRES / ARSIEST*, RACISTS, RECASTS, and ASCITES ("an abnormal collection of fluid in the peritoneal cavity").

My selection: SCARIEST


Round 8: Target 162 from 100 25 6 6 9 5

I recognised the target as 9*18, and so found 162 = (6*100/25 - 6)*9.

My selection: 162 = (6*100/25 - 6)*9


Round 9: SENDS SOUL

I skipped through this conundrum too early during selection, alas -- I stopped it quickly thinking it was LOUDNESSES.

My selection: [invalid -- LOUDNESSES]
Best: SOUNDLESS