NG 626

New game 626 is now available.

The re-run is episode 356; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: F T I N S L T O I

I had FITS, FLINTS, and TONSIL.  After time I noted another six of OTITIS ("inflammation of the ear"), and then spotted the seven of STILTON.  I thought that this might be proper -- the cheese is named after a town -- but the Macquarie gives it as lowercase.

There is an eight available here, though: TINFOILS.  The other seven is TINFOIL, of course, and the other sixes are FINITO and INSTIL.

My selection: FLINTS
Best: TINFOILS


Round 2: M U D T R E E I B

I had DRUM, and then struggled to see anything for ages.  I wanted a final U for DEUTERIUM, but instead the B gave me BRIDE, IMBRUTED (IMBRUTE: "to degrade to the level of a brute"), IMBRUTE / TERBIUM, and BEDTIME.  After time I noted another seven of IMBRUED (IMBRUE: "to stain with blood").

The other eights are TIMBERED and EMBRUTED (EMBRUTE being a variant form of IMBRUTE).  The other sevens are EMBRUTE, DEMERIT / MERITED / DIMETER / MITERED / RETIMED, ERUDITE, UMBERED, BRUITED (BRUIT: "to noise abroad; rumour"), and BEMIRED.

My selection: IMBRUTED


Round 3: Target 317 from 50 5 3 10 6 7

I went with the standard method here, and a simple 317 = 6*50 + 10 + 7.

My selection: 317 = 6*50 + 10 + 7


Round 4: A N E P O R D F H

I had PANE, APRON, OPERAND, PROFANED, FOREHAND, and ORPHANED.

That's all three eights listed.  The other sevens are PROFANE and APRONED / PANDORE (a type of lute) / PADRONE ("a master, as of a vessel").

My selection: FOREHAND


Round 5: I A O N S O M N C

I had IONS, MAINS, SIMOON (variant spelling of SIMOOM: "a hot, suffocating sand-laden wind of the deserts of Arabia, Syria, Africa, etc."), and MANIOCS.  After time I noted another seven of MANSION.

Turning one of those O's into an I would have yielded INSOMNIAC, but as the letters stand seven is the limit.  The others are MASONIC / CAMIONS (CAMION: "a strongly built truck or cart for carrying heavy loads") and ONANISM.

My selection: MANIOCS


Round 6: Target 155 from 100 3 3 6 1 2

I first thought of the factorisation 5*31, but could not make it with the small numbers alone.  So I used the 100 to get 155 = (100/(3 + 1) + 6)*(3 + 2).  (Seen just now: 155 = ((100 - 6 - 1)/3)*(3 + 2).)  Then I noted the more straightforward option of 155 = 100 + 3*3*6 + 1.

My selection: 155 = 100 + 3*3*6 + 1


Round 7: U Y S H R A E A O

I had RUSH, HARES, YOURS, wondered about HOUSER (not valid), and ASHORE.  After time I noted HORSEY as another 6, and then spotted the seven of HEARSAY.

HEARSAY is the only seven.  The other sixes are HOARSE, AROUSE, HOUSEY, and possibly AROHAS (AROHA: "NZ love; compassion; empathy").

My selection: ASHORE
Best: HEARSAY


Round 8: Target 696 from 25 50 4 8 9 3

The standard method strongly suggests making this as 700 - 4, but somehow I did not consider that.  If I had, I should have found 696 = (9 + 8 - 3)*50 - 4 easily enough.  Instead, I looked at the factorisation 8*87 to get 696 = 8*(50 + 25 + 9 + 3), and then further broke that down to get 696 = 8*3*(25 + 4).

My selection: 696 = 8*3*(25 + 4)


Round 9: FIXATE LEO

The X usually indicates EX- as a start, and that was the case here.

My selection: EXFOLIATE (1.9s)