NG 153

New game 153 is now available.


Round 1: E S N D D I O R C

I had ENDS, DINES, NOISED, SCORNED, CONSIDER (a word which could have made a big difference to me), and INDORSEE.  After time I noted down some of the other sevens: CRONIES, DISCORD, and CINDERS / DISCERN / RESCIND.

The above look like the only eights, and there are a fair few other sevens.

My selection: CONSIDER


Round 2: N D O A P O L T E

I had POND, a non-serious POLAND, PLATOON, reluctantly but correctly rejected PLATOONED, TADPOLE, POLENTA, and PLANTED.  After time I noted that if one of those O's had been an I instead then PLANETOID would have been the full monty.

The other sevens are NOTEPAD, TALONED, and PELOTON.

My selection: TADPOLE


Round 3: Target 996 from 25 3 10 9 8 4

The target is so near 1000 that it seems like the most tempting start.  It all works out easily enough, giving 996 = 4*10*25 - (3 + 9 - 8).  Then I saved a number with a tweak to get the alternative solution 996 = 4*(10*25 - (9 - 8)).  Then I pulled out further factors to find the factorisation 12*83, and managed to get that to work with 996 = (8*10 + 3)*(25 - 9 - 4).

My selection: 996 = (8*10 + 3)*(25 - 9 - 4)


Round 4: T T A I N E R R C

I had TAINT, RETINA, TRAINER, INTERACT, CERTAIN, TERRAIN / TERTIAN / NATTIER, and CATTIER.

INTERACT looks like the only eight; there's a lot of sevens, of which I'll just mention RETRACT and ERRATIC.

My selection: INTERACT


Round 5: S N M O E I T S Z

I had MONS, MESON, MONIES, and MOISTENS.  I also observed that a final vowel could have brought in an E for MONETISES, but as it turns out it would have been a U in any case.

The other eight is MESTIZOS (MESTIZO: "a person of mixed ancestry [...]").  I had considered this, but thought a double Z was needed (I think I was confusing it with MEZZO) so did not write it down.

The other sevens are MOISTEN, MESTIZO, MONISTS (MONIST being derived from MONISM: "the theory that reality is one (opposed to pluralism)"), NOSIEST, STEMSON ("Nautical a curved timber in the bow, having its lower end scarfed into the keelson"), SOMITES (SOMITE: "any of the longitudinal series of segments or parts into which the body of certain animals is divided"), and possibly EONISMS (EONISM: "the adoption of female clothing, mannerisms, etc., by a man; transvestism").

My selection: MOISTENS


Round 6: Target 738 from 75 25 100 50 4 1

The offset from 750 is 12, which is 4*75/25 but without those it seems difficult to get to 750 as required.  It would suffice to get three away via 735 = (4 + 1)*(100 + 50 - 75/25), but I was able to manage one better with 740 = (75 - 1)*((100 + 50)/25 + 4).  That was the best I could do, although the approaches of 3*246 and 6*123 were tempting but unworkable.

It turns out that two away is the closest that one can get, with 740 being the only such target.  There's exactly one other way to do so: 740 = (75 - 1)*4*(100 + 25)/50.

My selection: 740 = (75 - 1)*((100 + 50)/25 + 4)  [2 off]


Round 7: B S D U A O R B E

I had BUDS, DAUBS, BOARDS, AROUSED, and DAUBERS.  A bit after time I spotted ABSORBED for eight.

That does seem to be the only eight; the other sevens are ROSEBUD, BEDAUBS, DABBERS, and DOBBERS.  DUBBERS is not listed, and neither is EARBUDS.

My selection: AROUSED
Best: ABSORBED


Round 8: Target 228 from 75 25 100 8 10 1

An approach of 225 + 3 was initially attractive, but the natural way to make the 3 (75/25) made reaching 225 infeasible.  The alternative wasn't much better, but it sufficed to get me one away with 229 = (10 + 1 - 8)*75 + 100/25.  Looking at factors, the target is 4*57 and I was fortunate enough to be able to get that to work: 228 = (100/25)*(75 - 10 - 8).

After time I saw what felt like a simpler approach of 300 - 72: 228 = 75*100/25 - 8*(10 - 1).

My selection: 228 = (100/25)*(75 - 10 - 8)


Round 9: CEDAR SEED

The -ED ending was plausible, and I looked at RE- and DE- starts, finding DECREASED in short order.

My selection: DECREASED (2.3s)