NG 760

New game 760 is now available.

The re-run is episode 23; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: R T A E O G N F A

I had TEAR, GREAT, ORANGE, FRONTAGE, and TANAGER (a type of bird).  After time I checked up on ENGRAFT, finding out that it is also valid.

FRONTAGE is the only eight, and the remaining seven is NEGATOR.

My selection: FRONTAGE


Round 2: D T I A E H L I R

I had ADIT ("an entrance or a passage"), DEATH, DETAIL, and TRAILED.

Seven is the best to be done; the others are DELIRIA and LATHIER*.  DILATER is not valid; the appropriate form is DILATOR.

My selection: TRAILED


Round 3: Target 118 from 50 100 25 3 2 10

I started with the reasonably clear 118 = 100 + 25 + 3 - 10, then looked at the option of 2*59 and got it to work with 118 = 2*(50 + 10 + 3 - 100/25).

My selection: 118 = 100 + 25 + 3 - 10


Round 4: P C D K N E S A U

I had NECK, SPECK, SPACED, was uncertain about UNASKED (valid) and UNCASED (also valid), SPANKED, and UNPACKED.

UNPACKED is the only eight.  The other sevens are UNPACKS, SNACKED, SUNDECK, and UNSPEAK.

My selection: UNPACKED


Round 5: M R O R B A N E I

I had ROAM, MARRON (a type of crayfish; also a chestnut), wondered about BRAINER (not valid), MARINER, and BROMINE.

The eight that I missed is AIRBORNE.  The other sevens are ARMOIRE, ROMAINE / MORAINE, and BARMIER.

My selection: BROMINE


Round 6: Target 933 from 75 100 10 6 7 3

The nearest easy approximation is 10*100, of course, and that soon tweaks to an answer of 933 = 10*(100 - 7) + 3.  I also noticed that the offset from 975 was a convenient 42, and thus found the alternative solution of 933 = (10 + 3)*75 - 6*7.

My selection: 933 = 10*(100 - 7) + 3


Round 7: U A I S E T F T V

I had SITE, STATUE, STATIVE ("Grammar (of verbs) expressing a state or condition"), and FATTIES.

The other sevens are SITUATE and FAUVIST (noun derived from FAUVISM, which the Macquarie allows as uncapitalised).

My selection: STATIVE


Round 8:Target 451 from 100 8 3 6 9 10

My thoughts turned to making this as 10*46 - 9.  The 46 was not immediately available, although with the 100 around 36 or 56 would also have done.  However, I spotted a way to make it work: 451 = ((100 - 8) / (6/3))*10 - 9

My selection: 451 = ((100 - 8) / (6/3))*10 - 9


Round 9: MEET ATLAS

The -ATE ending is useful here, but not quite in the usual way -- it's a compound word we are after.  I saw it quickly, but I'm not sure what it was I picked up on.

My selection: STALEMATE (1.5s)