NG 758

New game 758 is now available.

The re-run is episode 21; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: A U M G O K U A P

Wow, what a horrible mix to start with.  I had AMOK and PUMA.

The fives here are OAKUM ("loose fibre obtained by untwisting and picking apart old ropes, used for caulking the seams of ships, etc."), GOPAK ("a traditional male Russian dance characterised by high leaps"), and MAPOU (a type of tree).

My selection: PUMA
Best: OAKUM


Round 2: O I E T N T H D A

I had INTO, TONITE (an explosive), and NOTATED.  After time I noted TAINTED as another seven.

Those are the only sevens, but I did miss two eights: ANTIDOTE / TETANOID.

My selection: NOTATED
Best: ANTIDOTE


Round 3: Target 142 from 8 10 6 1 4 2

I started with 142 = (8 + 6)*10 + 2, then looked for a solution without using the 10.  The target is 144 - 2, and 144 is a useful value with many small divisors.  A little thought produced 142 = (4 - 1)*6*8 - 2.

My selection: 142 = (4 - 1)*6*8 - 2


Round 4: O E W P A C R M I

I had CAPE, COWPEA, CROWEA (a type of shrub), CAMPER, POMACE ("the pulpy residue from apples or similar fruit after crushing and pressing [...]"), noted that a V instead of the P would give MICROWAVE, and rightly rejected IMPOWER (although it is in the Scrabble dictionary).  After time I checked up on the mathematical term COPRIME, but it is not listed.

I missed an obvious seven in the shape of COMPARE; the other seven is EMPORIA.  But the eight that I missed is COPREMIA (variant spelling of COPRAEMIA: "blood poisoning due to absorption of faecal matter"), a word which was potentially there in Sam's first episode, as well as in his grand final.

My selection: COWPEA
Best: COPREMIA


Round 5: T L E T G O A S O

I had GELT (colloquial for money), GELATO / LEGATO, and GELATOS.  I was slightly uncertain about that, since GELATI would be the expected plural, but fortunately both plural forms are listed.  After time I noted TOOTLES as another seven.

The other sevens are GALOOTS and GESTALT.

My selection: GELATOS


Round 6: Target 200 from 50 1 4 7 10 2

I had the obvious 200 = 4*50, then avoided the large number with 200 = 2*10*(7 + 4 - 1).

My selection: 200 = 4*50


Round 7: T C S L A E A B D

I had SLAT, CASTLE, LACTASE ("an enzyme capable of hydrolising lactose into glucose and galactose"), rightly rejected CASTABLE, and STABLED / BALDEST.  After time I noted other sevens of CABLETS, BLASTED, and CASTLED.

Seven is the best to be done; the others are ABLATES / ASTABLE ("Electronics of a type of switching circuit, that has no stable states"), ABLATED, ACTABLE, and ACETALS ("a class of compounds of aldehydes or ketones with alcohols").

My selection: LACTASE


Round 8: Target 548 from 75 25 3 3 8 1

My first try got me to one away with 549 = (8 - 1)*75 + 25 - 3/3.  Then I considered working down from 600, and stumbled upon the solution 548 = 8*(75 - 3) - 3 - 25.

My selection: 548 = 8*(75 - 3) - 3 - 25


Round 9: REPEAT ARM

An unusual answer pattern; I suspect I would not have solved it.

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