NG 698

New game 698 is now available.

The re-run is episode 401; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: E R M D F N U A T

I had FEND, UNDER, REFUND, MAUNDER ("to talk in a rambling, foolish, or imbecile way"), UNTAMED, was dubious about UNFARMED (not valid) / UNFRAMED (valid).  Alas, I played it too safe this time.

The other eight is UNDREAMT.  The other sevens are MANURED / UNARMED, MATURED, UNRATED, TURFMAN ("a man devoted to horseracing"), TURFMEN, and FRAENUM ("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").

My selection: MAUNDER
Best: UNFRAMED


Round 2: E E M D I P F L E

I had DEEM, IMPEDE, DEFILE, and DIMPLE.

Six is the limit here, with the others being FILMED, LIMPED, and PEELED.

My selection: DIMPLE


Round 3: Target 380 from 100 50 25 3 6 9

Applying the standard method got me to one away with 381 = 9*50 - 100 + 25 + 6.  The small numbers all being divisible by 3 makes this tricky, since we have to get a target that is not divisible by 3.  So the goal is to find an offset by one of the other numbers that is divisible by 3; the options are 480 - 100, 405 - 25, and 330 + 50.  The subtargets before multiplication by 3 are 160, 135, and 110.  I managed to get the last one to work with 380 = 3*(100 + 25 - 9 - 6) + 50.

Seen while writing this up is the alternative solution of 380 = 3*(100 + 50 - 9 - 6) - 25.

My selection: 380 = 3*(100 + 25 - 9 - 6) + 50


Round 4: A N R O N G C R A

I had ROAN, GROAN, ANGORA, and CRANNOG ("an ancient Irish or Scottish lake dwelling, usually built on an artificial island").  After time I noted RANCOR as another six.

The remaining sixes are GOANNA, GARCON ("a waiter"), and ORGANA (plural of ORGANUM or ORGANON: "an instrument of thought or knowledge").

My selection: CRANNOG


Round 5: C M L E T I P A E

I had MELT, CLIME, CLIMATE, wanted a final I for IMPLICATE but no such luck, EMPLACE, and wondered about EPILATE (valid: "to pluck out, remove (hair); depilate").

The other sevens are CALIPEE ("that part of a turtle next to the lower shield, consisting of a yellowish gelatinous substance"), PALMIET (a type of plant), PILEATE ("capped, as a mushroom"), and PLICATE ("folded like a fan; pleated").

My selection: CLIMATE


Round 6: Target 160 from 2 1 9 7 8 9

I started with 160 = (9*9 - 1)*2, then also noted 160 = 2*8*9 + 9 + 7 and 160 = 2*8*(9 + 1).

My selection: 160 = (9*9 - 1)*2


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

Gah, so many S's.  I had SOARS, ASSESS, wondered about ASSESSOR, SHARES / SHEARS, and SASHES.  I decided to change ASSESSOR, and that was the correct decision.

ASSESSOR is the only eight, and the only seven is SEROSAS (SEROSA: "a serous membrane").

My selection: ASSESSOR


Round 8: Target 114 from 50 2 8 3 10 1

The target is 2*57, leading to 114 = (50 + 8 - 1)*2, then considered the factorisation 6*19 to get 114 = (10 + 8 + 1)*2*3.

My selection: 114 = (10 + 8 + 1)*2*3


Round 9: ENVY INTRO

I jumped in too early with NONVERITY, which is not valid.  In general the NON- words are poorly represented in the Macquarie, but the conundrum generator I use turns them up a lot; I paid the price for playing to that.

My selection: [invalid -- NONVERITY]
Best: INVENTORY