NG 746

New game 746 is now available.

The re-run is episode 9; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: E A G S B L C I A

I had SAGE, GABLES, CABLES, and BAGELS.  After time I noted ABSEIL and CABALS as other sixes, and confirmed that CABALISE was not a word (at least, not one in the Macquarie).

The sevens are ABELIAS (ABELIA being a type of flower) and SCAGLIA ("a reddish Italian limestone").

My selection: GABLES
Best: ABELIAS


Round 2: E O R T H P T I A

I had TORE, OTHER, POTHER ("commotion; uproar"), POTTER, PATRIOT, and POTTIER*.

The other sevens are PARTITE ("divided into parts") and THORITE (a mineral).

My selection: PATRIOT


Round 3: Target 730 from 100 25 9 7 4 4

This one is iteratively approximateable, leading to 730 = 7*100 + 25 + 9 - 4.  Then I considered working up from 9*75; the offset of 55 is 8 away from 7*9, and so tweaking sorts it out: 730 = 9*(100 - 25 + 7) - 4 - 4.

My selection: 730 = 7*100 + 25 + 9 - 4


Round 4: F D E U C I A R Q

I had FEUD, FACED, and ACQUIRED.

ACQUIRED is the only eight; the sevens are ACQUIRE, AQUIFER, and QUADRIC.

My selection: ACQUIRED


Round 5: E D T R K O N A T

I had TROD, TONKED, TANKER, ROTATED, an uncertain TRANKED (valid), and KNOTTED.

The other seven is NOTATED, but there is an eight: ATTORNED (ATTORN being a legal term: "to turn over to another; transfer").

My selection: KNOTTED
Best: ATTORNED


Round 6: Target 132 from 25 5 8 1 6 1

The target is 6*22, and that soon led me to 132 = (25 - 8 + 5)*6.  Then I saw the simpler 132 = 5*25 + 6 + 1.

My selection: 132 = (25 - 8 + 5)*6


Round 7: R O M G L A E W T

I had MORAL, GLAMOR, MORTAL, and LEGATOR ("someone who bequeaths").

The safer anagram of LEGATOR is GLOATER, which I wish I had seen.  That's the only other seven, but again there is an eight: WATERLOG.

My selection: LEGATOR
Best: WATERLOG


Round 8: Target 553 from 25 7 2 3 3 7

The target is near 7*75, and in fact the offset of 28 is also divisible by 7.  That shows up the factorisation 7*79, which I was able to make work with 553 = (3*25 + 7 - 3)*7.  Seen now is the alternative of 553 = (3*25 + 3)*7 + 7.

My selection: 553 = (3*25 + 7 - 3)*7


Round 9: EPIC DENTS

The -ED ended is the useful one here, and -ECT makes an appearance.  Both useful fragments to keep an eye out for in normal letter rounds.

My selection: INSPECTED (2.4s)