NG 696

New game 696 is now available.

The re-run is episode 399; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: E P U Z I T G A T

I had TAUPE.  That's it, just TAUPE.  After time I checked up on PATTIE (not valid), and then the next day spotted AUGITE (a mineral) for six.  A bit later I also found GUTTAE (plural of GUTTA: "a drop, or something resembling one").

AUGITE and GUTTAE are the only sixes.  The other fives are GUTTA, GAUZE, PIETÀ, PETIT, and PITTA (a type of bird).

My selection: TAUPE


Round 2: E N A S M R D A S

I had SANE, NAMES, an uncertain NAMERS (valid), REMANDS, AMASSED, and rightly rejected DRESSMAN.  After time I noted SANDERS and MADNESS as other sevens.

The eights here are MADRASES (MADRAS: "a light cotton fabric with cords set at intervals or with woven stripes or figures, often of another colour, used for shirts, etc.") and MANSARDS (MANSARD being an acceptable short form of MANSARD ROOF: "a roof having two pitches, the upper slopes being flatter than the lower ones, usually with rooms in the roof pspace having dormer windows").

The other sevens are MANSARD, AMASSER, MAENADS (MAENAD: "frenzied or raging woman"), and DESMANS (DESMAN: "either of two aquatic insectivorous mammals, related to shrews [...]").

My selection: REMANDS


Round 3: Target 475 from 25 50 5 3 6 5

Lots of ways to do this; I went with 475 = 6*(50 + 25) + 5*5.  After time I noted down alternatives of 475 = (6 + 3)*50 + 25 and 475 = (5*5 - 6)*25.  Just now I have seen the simple 475 = (5 + 5)*50 - 25.

My selection: 475 = 6*(50 + 25) + 5*5


Round 4: U O L W F E A R N

I had FOUL, AWFUL, and FUNERAL.

The other sevens are FLEURON ("an ornamental flower-like design, used in printing, architecture, pastry-garnishing, etc."), FRENULA (plural of FRENULUM, alternative spelling of FRAENULUM: "a small fraenum"; a FRAENUM is "a small fold of membrane which checks or restrains the motion of a part, as the one which binds down the underside of the tongue"), and FLÂNEUR ("a detached observer of the urban way of life").

My selection: FUNERAL


Round 5: T C O H L O N D E

I had CLOTH and CLOTHED.  After time I noted TECHNO and CLONED as sixes, and NOTCHED as another seven.

The other sevens are CONDOLE and TOEHOLD.

My selection: CLOTHED


Round 6: Target 471 from 100 25 10 2 10 4

Putting the 4 aside in order to make the final offset allows us to focus on getting to 475 without it.  The way that I found was 471 = (10/2)*100 - 25 - 4.

My selection: 471 = (10/2)*100 - 25 - 4


Round 7: I I M U R F E R T

I had RIME, FRUIT, FRUITER, and FRUITIER.

FRUITIER is the only eight, unsurprisingly.  The other seven is TURFIER.

My selection: FRUITIER


Round 8: Target 943 from 25 75 8 7 8 10

Similarly to the previous numbers round, the first step is to put the offset of 7 aside.  The remaining target is 950, and with a bit of work I managed to get that to work: 943 = 10*75 + 8*25 - 7.

My selection: 943 = 10*75 + 8*25 - 7


Round 9: SEND SNAKE

I skipped through this too quickly -- I looked at -NESS but did not spot the right option.

My selection: [no answer]
Best: NAKEDNESS