NG 731

New game 731 is now available.

The re-run is episode 444; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: E F I O E E T H S

Argh, the vowels.  Even one fewer vowel would have allowed the eight of CHIEFEST under the single-syllable adjective rule (or, less controversially, FETICHES).  As it was, I had FEET, FETISH, FOIST, HOIST, SHIFT, and was a little amused by how wrong FEETIES would be.  After time I noted some other fives of ETHOS, THIEF, SHEET / THESE, and HEIST.

Six is the limit, with the others being HOSTIE, SEETHE, and SOFTIE.

My selection: FETISH


Round 2: E O C H E A R B R

I had ECHO, ACHE, ROACH, BROACH, was uncertain about REACHER (valid), similarly about BEACHER (also valid), and likewise was unsure about BREACHER and BROACHER.  I ended up chancing BREACHER, and that was the wrong decision -- BREACHER is invalid while BROACHER is valid.  Bother!

BROACHER is the only eight.  The other sevens are CEREBRA, COHERER ("an obsolete device for detecting radio waves [...]"), and OCHREAE* (as I've mentioned before, OCHREA is a variant spelling of OCREA ("a sheathing part, as a pair of stipules united about a stem"), and the plural form OCREAE is listed for that).

My selection: [invalid -- BREACHER]
Best: BROACHER


Round 3: Target 435 from 100 25 7 1 3 2

My first useful step towards a solution was to consider getting near with 6*75.  The six could be made as either 7 - 1 or 2*3; I naturally favoured the latter since it opened up tweaking possibilities.  That required making the offset of 15 from 7 and 1, with either 2 or 3 to tweak by; it was a short step to observing that 2*7 + 1 = 15 and so finding 435 = 2*(3*(100 - 25) - 7) - 1.

Looking for other options, I noticed that the target was 870/2, which is near 875/2, and so found the overly complicated 435 = (7*(100 + 25) - 3)/2 - 1.  Naturally, this would have been my choice if I'd been on the show.

Note that if I'd made the 6 originally as 7 - 1 then tweaking still works, via 6*2 + 3 = 15, to give 435 = (7 - 1)*(100 - 25 - 2) - 3.

My selection: 435 = (7*(100 + 25) - 3)/2 - 1.


Round 4: O E M N G D B A O

I had GNOME, BONGED, ABDOMEN, and BONDAGE.  After time I noted another six of BEMOAN.

The other sevens are GOODMAN, GOODMEN, and DOGBANE.

My selection: ABDOMEN


Round 5: R I M E R A R U K

I had MIRE, AIMER, MARKER, and MURKIER.

The other seven here is MARRIER.

My selection: MURKIER


Round 6: Target 171 from 1 4 9 8 4 6

The target is 9*19, leading to a few options; I went with 171 = (4*6 - 4 - 1)*9.

My selection: 171 = (4*6 - 4 - 1)*9


Round 7: I A C A Z T P N U

I had CAPTAIN.  Yes, just that.  After time I noted some fives of TUNIC, CAPUT ("Anatomy any head or headlike expansion on a structure, as on a bone"), and PANIC.

CAPTAIN is the only seven.  There are some sixes, two of which are outgrowths of fives that I listed: CAPITA (plural of CAPUT) and TUNICA (synonymous with anatomical or similar meanings of TUNIC, such as "any loose membranous skin not formed from the epidermis").  The other sixes are CATNAP, CATNIP, PATINA / PIÑATA / TAIPAN, and TIPUNA (a New Zealand term for "a grandparent or more remote ancestor").

My selection:


Round 8: Target 262 from 50 5 3 8 10 9

I went straight for the standard method with 262 = 5*50 + 9 + 3, then found a solution in small numbers alone with 262 = 3*9*10 - 8.

My selection: 262 = 3*9*10 - 8


Round 9: MEAN GUILT

The -ING fragment shows its worth once more.  There's actually two solutions to this, but I was in a hurry at the time and deemed that acceptable.

My selection: EMULATING (3.4s)
Best: also GLUTAMINE