NG 726

New game 726 is now available.

The re-run is episode 439; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: W S R S E U L K A

I had SEWS, RULES, SULKERS, WRASSE, and WALKERS.

The other seven is WARLESS, but the eight to be had is WALRUSES.

My selection: WALKERS
Best: WALRUSES


Round 2: D G R T P A R E A

I had DART, GRATED, PARADE, was rightly dubious about PARADER, and GRADATE.  It was a shame about that second A, an O would have allowed GARROTED and PARROTED.

Seven is the limit, with the others being ADAPTER / READAPT and PARERGA (plural of PARERGON: "subordinate or secondary work, standing apart from one's main occupation").

My selection: GRADATE


Round 3: Target 476 from 25 9 8 9 4 1

The target is 19*25 + 1, but I was not able to get that 19 within time.  (Seen just now is 476 = (4*9 - 9 - 8)*25 + 1, which is rather reminiscent of an approach that I missed in my first numbers round on the show.)  Looking at what I could make, I considered working up from 17*25; the offset is 51, which is also divisible by 17, and so I found the factorisation 17*28.  The resulting solution was 476 = (9 + 8)*(25 + 4 - 1).

Another solution seen now is working up from 450, with 476 = (9 + 9)*(25 + 1) + 8.

My selection: 476 = (9 + 8)*(25 + 4 - 1)


Round 4: L O I M O S N R M

I had MOIL, MOONS, rightly rejected MORMONS (proper), MORONS, and MORIONS (MORION: "an open helmet with a tall comb and a curved brim merging into a peak at front and back").  After time I noted some other sixes of SIMOOM ("a hot, suffocating sand-laden wind of the deserts of Arabia, Syria, Africa, etc.") and SIMOON (variant form of SIMOOM).

There is an eight lurking in this mix: MORONISM.  MORIONS is the only seven, and the other sixes are MORION, MINORS, ORISON ("a prayer"), ORLONS (ORLON: "a synthetic acrylic textile fibre of light weight and good crease resistance [trademark]"), and MONISM ("the theory that reality is one (as opposed to pluralism)") / NOMISM ("conduct in a religion based on a law or laws").

My selection: MORIONS
Best: MORONISM


Round 5: S A E N F D L I E

I had SANE, DEANS, ELANDS, DEFILES, DENIALS, and FELINES.  A little bit after I'd finished this game I glanced back at this mix and spotted the nine of ENFILADES (ENFILADE: "fire from guns, etc., which is directed along the length of enemy positions or troop formations"; there is also an associated verb sense).  That would have been nice to spot within time!

The eights are ENFILADE and DELAINES (DELAINE: "a thin woollen fabric, often having a printed pattern").  The other sevens are DELAINE, DEAFENS, DEFINES, ANISEED, LINSEED / ENSILED (ENSILE: "to preserve (green fodder) in a silo"), FINALES, and FLENSED (FLENSE: "to strip off (blubber or skin)").

My selection: DEFILES
Best: ENFILADES


Round 6: Target 800 from 100 50 6 5 8 10

I settled for the obvious 800 = 8*100, although there are other options, of course.

My selection: 800 = 8*100


Round 7: I E C R I H I P X

Yuck, what a mix.  I had RICE, ICIER, PRICE, PIXIE, and CHIRP.  A little after time I spotted the six of CIPHER.

CIPHER is the only six.  The other fives are PERCH and XERIC ("relating to an environment containing or characterised by little moisture").

My selection: PRICE
Best: CIPHER


Round 8: Target 557 from 25 50 3 6 2 8

I wanted to make this as 11*50 + 7, but getting a 7 was difficult.  Instead I went for 575 - 18, which happily worked out as 557 = 6*(2*50 - 3) - 25.

My selection: 557 = 6*(2*50 - 3) - 25


Round 9: CURIO OATS

Mixes with many vowels can be a bit awkward, but the -OUS ending is helpful -- particularly when extended to -IOUS and -CIOUS here.

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