NG 783

New game 783 is now available.

The re-run is episode 46; its rounds are here and its writeup is here.


Round 1: H E R N T I S O E

I had RENT, INTER, wondered about HINTER (valid), ORIENTS, SEROTINE (a European bat), HORNETS / THRONES, and THEREIN / NEITHER.  After time I noted HORNIEST as another eight.

There are a few other eights: HEROINES / NOSHERIE (variant spelling of NOSHERY, colloquial for a place to eat"), THEORIES / THEORISE / ISOTHERE ("a line connecting places on the earth's surface which have the same mean summer temperature"), and HEREINTO.

My selection: SEROTINE


Round 2: D O E P L B A K G

I had DOPE, LOPED, knew from past experience that PEDALO was not listed, and took a chance on POLKAED; fortunately it is valid.  After time I noted other sixes of GOALED / GAOLED.

POLKAED is the only seven.  The other sixes are BALKED, DOABLE / ALBEDO ("the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it"), GABLED, GLOBED, and BODEGA ("a storehouse for wine, especially one which is above ground").

My selection: POLKAED


Round 3: Target 240 from 75 25 6 9 5 2

The offsets for the standard method are 10 and 15, which are both pretty manageable.  My first answer was 240 = 9*25 + 5*6/2.  Then I looked at the factorisation 6*40, or 6*5*8, and so found 240 = 6*5*(25 - 9)/2.  (Perhaps simpler would be 240 = 6*5*(9 - 75/25 + 2).)  Finally I considered 5*48 for an alternative of 240 = 5*(75 - 25 - 2).

My selection: 240 = 5*(75 - 25 - 2)


Round 4: R E E C S A A P L

I had a dubious CREE (as expected, it is proper), CREASE, ESCAPE, PALACES, and REPLACES.

The other eight is PERCALES (PERCALE: "closely woven, smooth-finished cambric, plain or printed").  Although CARPALE is listed ("any of the bones of the wrist"), the plural form is given as CARPALIA rather than CARPALES.

The other sevens are REPLACE / PERCALE, CARPALE, CEREALS / SCALARE (another name for the angelfish), LEAPERS / EARLAPS (EARLAP: "the lobe of the ear") / RELAPSE / REPEALS, PARCELS / SCALPER / PLACERS / CLASPER / CARPELS (CARPEL being part of a plant), ESCAPER, and CARPALS (CARPAL being a variant form of CARPALE).

My selection: REPLACES


Round 5: E T T S S U T A R

Lots of duplication is usually bad, but it's not so terrible here.  I had TEST, TESTS, STATUTES, STATUTE, STATUES, STATURES, STATURE, and STUTTERS.

The other eight is STRETTAS (STRETTA: "the concluding passage of a piece of music, taken at an accelerated speed").  The other sevens are STRETTA / TATTERS / TARTEST, STUTTER, TAUTEST, TASTERS / STATERS (STATER: "any of various gold or silver or electrum coin units or coins of the ancient Greek states or cities"), ATTESTS, and STRATUS ("a continuous horizontal sheet of cloud, resembling fog but not resting on the ground, usually of uniform thickness and comparatively low altitude").

My selection: STATUTES


Round 6: Target 433 from 25 100 75 5 9 2

I was helped here by my experience from the previous numbers round, as once again it was desirable to make an 8 from 2, 9, 25.  That gave me the solution 433 = 5*100 - 75 + (25 - 9) / 2.

There are many other solutions, but my favourite is 433 = (25*75 - 9) / 2 - 5*100.

My selection: 433 = 5*100 - 75 + (25 - 9) / 2


Round 7: C O N I M H C A M

I had ICON, CONCH, MANIC, and CAMION ("a strongly built truck or cart for carrying heaving loads").  Somewhat after time I saw the seven of MOHICAN (allowed as lowercase when it is an adjective referring to the hairstyle).

The other seven is AMMONIC ("of or relating to ammonia or ammonium").  I'm vexed at that, because I saw the possibility within time but thought it was not valid.  The other sixes are MANIOC / ANOMIC (adjective derived from ANOMIE: "a social vacuum marked by the absence of social norms or values"), COCAIN, CONCHA ("a shell-like structure, especially the external ear"), and COCHIN (a breed of chicken).

My selection: CAMION
Best: AMMONIC


Round 8: Target 651 from 75 50 25 100 9 9

This was a slightly irritating round for me; the offset of 1 could be made as 9/9, but it's not possible to get to 650 with the large numbers alone.  But it is possible to get to 625 and 675 with them, so in a sense this was close to solvable.  I wrote down the one off 650 = 9*75 - 25, and that was the best I could do.

There is a solution to this, but it's extremely difficult to find: 651 = ((100 + 9)*50 - 25)*9 / 75.

My selection: 650 = 9*75 - 25  [1 off]
Best: 651 = ((100 + 9)*50 - 25)*9/75


Round 9: TRAIN BILL

I chose this one after seeing it in a recent crossword.

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