NG 369

New game 369 is now available.


Round 1: D S L O H P I A C

I had SOLD, HOLDS, CALIPHS, and an uncertain COLDISH (valid).  A bit later I looked back at the mix and saw the eight of SHIPLOAD (which I would have pronounced carefully if on the show).

The other eights are HAPLOIDS (HAPLOID: "an organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes, ordinarily half the normal diploid number"), PLACOIDS (PLACOID: "a member of the Placoidae, a group of fishes including the sharks and rays, and distinguished by irregular bony scales"), and SCAPHOID ("boat-shaped"; also a name for a couple of different bones).

The other sevens are HAPLOID, PLACOID, HALOIDS (HALOID being a compound involving a halogen), and SCHOLIA (plural of SCHOLIUM: "an explanatory note or comment").

My selection: CALIPHS
Best: SHIPLOAD


Round 2: D W S D L O N O U

I had OWLS, DOWNS, WOUNDS, and UNSOLD.  An A instead of the U would have been nice, allowing the full monty of WOODLANDS.  OLD WOUNDS is no substitute, alas.

Six is the best to be done; the others are NODOUS ("full of knots") and SWOUND (an archaic form of SWOON).

My selection: WOUNDS


Round 3: Target 705 from 75 10 7 3 2 5

I started with a reasonably simple approach of 700 + 5, getting 705 = (75 - 5)*10 + 3 + 2.  I went looking for alternatives -- missing the simple 705 = 75*10 - 5*(7 + 2) -- and noticed that the target was 630 + 75.  630 has many useful factors, particularly with the small numbers as presented, and I parlayed those observations into a kitchen sink solution of 705 = (5 - 2)*3*10*7 + 75.

My selection: 705 = (5 - 2)*3*10*7 + 75


Round 4: R I L A O S O F N

I had LAIR, SAILOR, wanted a final E for FORESAIL (the next vowel was an E, too), and SALOON.

Six was the best I could do, but there is a seven: FLORINS.

My selection: SAILOR
Best: FLORINS


Round 5: E T B K U I N R E

I had TUBE, UNITE, TURBINE / TRIBUNE, and wanted a final A for URBANITE.  No such luck, and seven was the limit.

The other sevens are RETINUE / REUNITE / UTERINE and KERNITE (a mineral).

My selection: TURBINE


Round 6: Target 930 from 50 100 8 6 7 4

I managed to get confused at first and wrote down a solution for 630 instead (perhaps due to using 630 as an intermediate in the prior number round).  Fortunately I realised what I had done, and found that I could get the factorisation 6*155 to work: 930 = 6*(100 + 50 + 4 + 8 - 7).  I experimented with some other options, and found one I liked more: 930 = (100 + 6 + 4)*8 + 50.

My selection: 930 = (100 + 6 + 4)*8 + 50


Round 7: T E A E N G I B A

I had NEAT, ENATE ("relating to that which grows outwards"), AGENT, EATING, ABATING, BEATING, considered BATINAGE (not valid) but realised that I was thinking of BADINAGE ("light, playful banter or raillery"), and BETAINE (the sweet component of sugar beets").  A little after time I found the eight of ABNEGATE.

ABNEGATE is the only eight; the other sevens are BEIGNET ("Cookery a fritter") and TAENIAE (plural of TAENIA, another name for a tapeworm).

My selection: BEATING
Best: ABNEGATE


Round 8: Target 827 from 100 75 25 4 5 10

The target is very near 11*75, but getting an offset of 2 afterwards is infeasible.  I had to settle for one away with 826 = 75*10 + 100 - 25 + 5 - 4.

It turns out there is only one solution, making the target as 8270 / 10.  Hard to imagine anyone finding it within time!  It is 827 = ((100 + 5)*(75 + 4) - 25)/10.

My selection: 826 = 75*10 + 100 - 25 + 5 - 4  [1off]
Best: 827 = ((100 + 5)*(75 + 4) - 25)/10


Round 9: SLICK VOTE

Lots of ways to use the -CK fragment, so it was focusing on the V that helped narrow things down.  STOVE was not helpful, but LIVE brought rewards.

My selection: LIVESTOCK (7.0s)