NG 620

New game 620 is now available.

The re-run is episode 350; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: N T W H P E E O N

I had WENT, POTEEN ("illicit distilled whisky"), and POTHEEN (variant spelling of POTEEN).

POTHEEN is the only seven.  The other sixes are NEPHEW and NEWTON.

My selection: POTHEEN


Round 2: O C I O T S M E C

I had COOT, SCOOT, and COSMETIC.

COSMETIC is the only eight.  The sevens are COOTIES, OSMOTIC, COMETIC (adjective derived from COMET), and SMECTIC ("denoting or relating to one of the forms of liquid crystals").

My selection: COSMETIC


Round 3: Target 834 from 100 6 7 2 2 4

Getting to 800 sounds like a reasonable starting point; I first tried 2*4*100 and tweaked my way to the solution 834 = 4*(2*100 + 7) + 6.  Then I looked at making the 8 as 6 + 2 and found an alternative of 834 = (6 + 2)*(100 + 4) + 2.

My selection: 834 = 4*(2*100 + 7) + 6


Round 4: F S O D B U T H O

I had DOBS, BOUTS, DOUBTS, BOOTHS, and amused myself with BUSTHOOD.  After time I also found BUSHFOOD amusing.

Six is the best to be done, with the other being DOOFUS.

My selection: DOUBTS


Round 5: R I N E A F G D O

I had REIN, INFER, FEARING, FRINGED, ADORING, GROANED, READING, and FIREDOG (another term for an ANDIRON: "one of a pair of metallic stands used to support wood in an open fire").  After time I noted FORDING as another seven.

There's various other sevens, but the eight here is ORGANDIE.

My selection: FEARING
Best: ORGANDIE


Round 6: Target 698 from 50 25 75 9 3 7

It was tempting to start with 700, but making a 2 with the leftovers seemed difficult.  I adjusted to working up from 675; the offset is 23, and that was manageable: 698 = 9*75 + 3*7 + 50/25.

My selection: 698 = 9*75 + 3*7 + 50/25


Round 7: P A R E K R A C R

I had PEAR, PARKER, PACKER, CARPARK, and was briefly tempted by CARPARKER (not valid).

CARPARK is the only seven.  The other sixes are ARREAR, REPACK, CARPER, and ARRACK (any of various spirits distilled in certain Arab and Asian countries from toddy [...], rice, molasses, or other materials").

My selection: CARPARK


Round 8: Target 443 from 50 75 25 100 6 6

I started with the simple on off of 444 = 6*75 - 6, but progressing closer seemed difficult.  But I spotted that the offset of 7 was also an offset of 18, and 18 is 3*6.  That was promising because with two 6's available it should be feasible to make the 18, and indeed that was the case.  The resulting solution was 443 = 6*(75 + 100/50) + 6 - 25.

There is only one other solution to this, using the same idea but in different fashion: 443 = 6*(75 + 6*50/100) - 25.

My selection: 443 = 6*(75 + 100/50) + 6 - 25


Round 9: CARS DOORS

Another conundrum that I had to choose; it's getting harder for random ones to be useful.

My selection: [N/A -- chosen]
Best: CROSSROAD