NG 638

New game 638 is now available.


Round 1: A L D E T D D B I

I had DEAL, DEALT, ADDLED, DETAIL, and DILATED.

The other seven is ADDIBLE (slightly surprising to me; it turns out that both ADDABLE and ADDIBLE are allowable).

My selection: DILATED


Round 2: O A O C O R S S G

Bleah.  I had ORCA, ORCAS, ACROSS, GROSS, and SCRAGS.  After time I confirmed that CARGOS is not valid -- the plural form is explicitly given as CARGOES only.

Six is the best to be done; the others are SORGOS (SORGO: "any of the sweet sorghums") and arguably OSCARS (OSCAR: "Colloquial cash; money").

My selection: ACROSS


Round 3: Target 380 from 75 6 7 4 10 3

The factorisation 10*38 was clear, and I soon had 380 = (7*6 - 4)*10.  Then I looked at using the 75, and found 380 = 6*75 - 7*10.  Finally I considered the factorisation 4*95 and eventually saw 380 = 4*(75 + 6*10/3).

While writing this up I looked at the option of making 38 as (75 + 1)/2.  That did not quite work out, but a variation of that idea yields a solution: 380 = (10*75 + 7 + 3) / (6 - 4).

My selection: 380 = (7*6 - 4)*10


Round 4: W O E T S P K G A

I had STEW, POETS, SAPOTE (a type of tree), and POSTAGE.  After time I noted POTAGES as another seven.

Seven is the limit, with the others being STOWAGE / TOWAGES.

My selection: POSTAGE


Round 5: O I D C A R N A B

I had ACID, RADIO, DACRON ("a strong synthetic polyester fibre resistant to creases"), INBOARD, and ORDAIN.  After time I noted other sixes of CARBON and CARINA ("a keel-like part or ridge"), and that latter guided me to another seven of OCARINA.

The other sevens are CARABIN (variant form of CARBINE) and ACAROID ("a yellow or reddish resin which exudes from the trunk of the Australian grass tree of the genus Xanthorrhoea, and which is used in varnishes, lacquers, and in the manufacture of paper").

My selection: INBOARD


Round 6: Target 803 from 50 25 5 1 1 4

The target is 11*73, but that seemed hard to use.  (It would have been easy if that 4 were a 6...)  I flailed around a bit, and wrote down a fallback 804 = 4*((5 - 1)*50 + 1), and a bit later another one-off of 802 = (25 - 5 - 4)*50 + 1 + 1.  That was the best I could do.

As it turns out, the target is not reachable.  There's a few ways to 804, but there is only one way to 802 (as shown above).

My selection: 804 = 4*((5 - 1)*50 + 1)  [1 off]


Round 7: E U E N L M J H E

I had LUNE, LUMEN, and MELEE.

Five is the best to be done, with the other being NEUME ("any of various symbols used in medieval musical notation, and still used for noting Gregorian chant, etc.").

My selection: MELEE


Round 8: Target 198 from 75 7 5 6 2 10

I recognised the target as 18*11, which is also 6*33, and so soon had 198 = (7*5 - 2)*6.

My selection: 198 = (7*5 - 2)*6


Round 9: GOLD LEVER

The OVER- fragment is a red herring this time, with -ED being the right fragment to look at.

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