NG 625

New game 625 is now available.

The re-run is episode 355; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: D E H T A A S J D

I had DEATH, DEATHS, and SHADED.

Six is the limit on this mix, with the others being DASHED, HASTED, JEHADS (JEHAD being a variant spelling of JIHAD), HADJAS (HADJA being a variant spelling of HAJA: "a Muslim woman who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca"), and maybe DADAHS (DADAH: "Malaysian English illegal narcotic drugs [...]").

My selection: SHADED


Round 2: E G C M R N A O S

I had GERM, MANGER, ROMANCE, and ROMANCES.

The other eights are CRAGSMEN (plural of CRAGSMAN: "a man accustomed to or skilled in climbing crags"), MEGARONS (MEGARON: "the main hall of an ancient Mycenaean house [...]"), and ACROGENS (ACROGEN: "a plant having no proper flowers but a growing point at the end of its perennial stems, as a fern or moss").

My selection: ROMANCES


Round 3: Target 313 from 75 7 9 3 1 9

Applying the standard method left me gives an offset of 13, which can be made with a tweak: 313 = (7 - 3)*(75 + 1) + 9.  Then I considered working up from 225 instead to get the alternative solution 313 = 3*75 + 9*9 + 8.

After time I noted that the target was 7*9 = 63 away from 250, and turned that observation into another solution: 313 = (9 + 1)*75/3 + 7*9.

My selection: 313 = (7 - 3)*(75 + 1) + 9


Round 4: F U W P R E L P I

I had PURE, PURPLE, wanted a final O for POWERFUL but was disappointed, was unsure about PIPEFUL (valid), and PULPIER.

The other seven in this mix is FLIPPER.

My selection: PULPIER


Round 5: K U D M O L E H S

I had MOULD, MODULE, and MODULES.

The Macquarie does not allow MUDHOLES, so MODULES is the best to be done, and the only seven.

My selection: MODULES


Round 6: Target 504 from 25 2 4 6 3 2

The target, as I've mentioned many times before, is 7*8*9.  There's various ways of breaking that up, but I focused on 21*8*3, getting 504 = (25 - 4)*3*(6 + 2).  Then I noted an alternative option of 504 = (25 - 4)*2*2*6.

After time I went back to the standard method, finding 504 = (3*6 + 2)*25 + 4.

My selection: 504 = (25 - 4)*3*(6 + 2)


Round 7: I O T B N E A R D

I had BINT, INTO, NIOBATE, BARITONE / OBTAINER, and OBTAINED.

The other eights are ORDINATE / RATIONED, DEBONAIR, and REOBTAIN.

My selection: BARITONE


Round 8: Target 702 from 75 25 100 50 7 5

A little too easy, alas.  I went with 702 = 7*100 + 50/25.

My selection: 702 = 7*100 + 50/25


Round 9: SILENT IRE

I chose this conundrum once again.

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