NG 630

New game 630 is now available.

The re-run is episode 360; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: E U S Z B N O E T

I had BUNS, BONUS, OBTUSE, rightly rejected SUBNOTE / SUBTONE, and BUTENES.

The other sevens are SUBTEEN and OUTSEEN.

My selection: BUTENES


Round 2: E L R G R E M E F

I had REEL, MERGER, rightly rejected EMERGER, and REEFER.  After time I noted FEELER as another six, and checked up on GERMFREE (not valid, although it did show up in the Scrabble list on later checking).

Six is the best to be done here; the others are EMERGE, REELER, and FERREL (variant form of FERRULE: "a metal ring or cap put around the end of a post, stick, handle, etc.").

My selection: MERGER


Round 3: Target 246 from 50 100 7 1 1 10

I started with 7*50 - 100 = 250, and getting the offset of 4 from that just needed a tweak: 246 = 7*(50 + 1) - 100 - 10 - 1.  Then I considered the factorisation 6*41 to get the alternative solution 246 = (7 - 1)*(50 - 10 + 1).

My selection: 246 = (7 - 1)*(50 - 10 + 1)


Round 4: D L H I T A I N M

I had HILT, TIDAL, and flailed around for a while before settling upon HITMAN.  After time I checked up on INTIMAL, but although INTIMA is listed the corresponding adjectival form is not.

Alas, HIT MAN is only listed as two separate words, so my answer is invalid.  The valid sixes are INTIMA, INLAID, TAHINI, MILADI (variant spelling of MILADY), LITHIA ("a white oxide of lithium [...]"), and AMIDIN ("the soluble matter of starch").

But there is a seven to be had after all: THIAMIN (variant spelling of THIAMINE, also known as vitamin B1).

My selection: [invalid -- HITMAN]
Best: THIAMIN


Round 5: C O R C A A C R D

Bleah, too much unhelpful duplication.  I had CROC and ACCORD.

ACCORD is the only six.  The fives are RADAR, CACAO, and ARDOR.

My selection: ACCORD


Round 6: Target 402 from 100 50 8 2 9 1

Too easy: 402 = 8*50 + 2.

My selection: 402 = 8*50 + 2


Round 7: E S W N I I T L E

I had NEWS, SWINE, SILENT, LINIEST, and LENITIES (plural of LENITY: "a lenient act").

The other eight is LEWISITE, a chemical warfare agent.  The other sevens are TENSILE, WILIEST, and WINIEST.

My selection: LENITIES


Round 8: Target 351 from 100 75 25 6 1 4

The standard method applies handily; I went with 351 = 6*75 - 100 + 1.

My selection: 351 = 6*75 - 100 + 1


Round 9: LOCO QUAIL

We're a letter short for COLLOQUIAL, but fortunately chopping off the final L gives the right answer of COLLOQUIA (plural of COLLOQUIUM: "a meeting for discussion" or "a seminar").  A familiar word to me since I work at a university.

My selection: COLLOQUIA (2.4s)