NG 250

New game 250 is now available.


Round 1: T R C A A T C E P

I had CART, TRACT, and hoped for another A for CATARACT.  The actual E threw me a bit, and in the end I was lucky to find CARPET for six within time.

Six is almost the best, but there is one better: TEACART.  The other sixes are ACCEPT, PATTER, and TAPETA (plural of TAPETUM: "any of certain membranous layers or the like, as in the choroid or retina").

My selection: CARPET
Best: TEACART


Round 2: R I N U S A D O D

I had RUIN, RUINS, DURIANS, and recognised a potential DINOSAUR (I recall David finding this in episode 322, one of the ones I got to see being filmed).  The O turned up, and I had my eight.  I also added ANDROIDS as another eight.

I was pretty happy about those, but it turns out there is a nine here: DIANDROUS ("(of a flower) having two stamens").  The other sevens are ANDROID, INROADS / ORDAINS, and DURIONS (DURION being a variant spelling of DURIAN).

My selection: DINOSAUR
Best: DIANDROUS


Round 3: Target 211 from 25 75 8 5 4 5

I had a little trouble envisaging how to make the required offset off 11 or 14 (without using up both fives and the 4, which seemed overly extravagant).  But then I spotted the opportunity to divide by 5 and how it would help me, ending up with 211 = 8*25 + 75/5 - 4.

After time I considered the option of making this as 136 + 75, finding the alternative solution 211 = (25 + 8 + 5/5)*4 + 75.

My selection: 211 = 8*25 + 75/5 - 4


Round 4: T E H E E T T U R

I had THEE, TEETHE, TETHER, and an uncertain TEETHER.  It was risky, but too plausible to pass up.  Unfortunately, TEETHER is not valid.

Six is the best to be done here; the others are TEETER / TERETE ("cylindrical or slightly tapering") and TETTER ("any of various cutaneous diseases, as herpes, eczema, impetigo, etc."; it also has a verb sense).

My selection: [invalid -- TEETHER]
Best: TEETHE


Round 5: Z N R A O S L E A

I had ROAN, ARSON, REASON, and -- later than I would have liked -- LOANERS.

Seven is the limit on this mix, with the other being ARSENAL.

My selection: LOANERS


Round 6: Target 950 from 75 50 3 10 4 7

My first instinct was to make the target as 19*50, but a 19 was harder to come by than I wanted (seen just now is the annoyingly simple 950 = (3*4 + 7)*50).  Instead I started with 950 = 10*75 + 4*50, then the simpler 950 = 3*4*75 + 50.  Finally I revisited the idea of 19*50 and managed to make it work via a scenic route: 950 = ((75 + (7 + 3)/10)/4)*50.

My selection: 950 = 3*4*75 + 50


Round 7: M L D A E I M L K

I had LAME, wondered about LAMED (valid, but spotting MEDAL would have made me happier), MEDIAL / MAILED, MILKED, was dubious about DAMLIKE (rightly so -- it is not listed), and happily settled on DILEMMA for seven.

Speaking of dams, though, the other seven here is MILLDAM ("a dam built in a stream to furnish a head of water for turning a millwheel").

My selection: DILEMMA


Round 8: Target 437 from 75 25 100 7 4 1

I had troubles with this one, and in the end had to scramble to get down a one-away 436 = 4*(100 + 1) + 7 + 25.  I'd seen simpler ways to one off, I believe, but lost track of them while searching for better.

There turns out to be a unique solution, and not one I was likely to find: 437 = (75*25 + 1 - 100)/4 - 7.

My selection: 436 = 4*(100 + 1) + 7 + 25  [1 off]
Best: 437 = (75*25 + 1 - 100)/4 - 7


Round 9: RUE TEDIUM

The -IUM fragment is always worth a look, and it was not long before I had found DEUTERIUM in the mix.

My selection: DEUTERIUM (3.3s)