NG 470

New game 470 is now available.


Round 1: G N T B A O U L E

I had BANG, BATON, NOUGAT, TANGELO, and NOTABLE.

Seven seems to be the best to be done; the others are GUNBOAT, BUTANOL, LANGUET ("any part or projection shaped like a tongue"), GLOBATE ("shaped like a globe"), and TUNABLE / ABLUENT ("a cleansing agent; a detergent").

My selection: TANGELO


Round 2: N E O R N A G E D

I had NEON, ANGER, GARDEN, and the familiar ENRAGED / ANGERED / GRENADE triple.

Alas, I missed the eight of ENDANGER; the other eight is ANDROGEN ("any steroid hormone which promotes masculine characteristics").  The other sevens are GROANED, DERANGE / GRANDEE ("a Spanish nobleman of the highest rank"), and ENDOGEN ("any plant of the obsolete class Endogenae, including the monocotyledons, whose stems were erroneously supposed to grow from within").

My selection: GRENADE
Best: ENDANGER


Round 3: Target 510 from 75 100 10 1 6 5

The standard method soon yields 510 = 5*100 + 10.  I also noted another solution of 510 = (75 + 10)*6.

My selection: 510 = 5*100 + 10


Round 4: M C O E I H U O C

I had COME, MICE, COUCH, and CHOICE.

Six is the best to be done here; the others are CHEMIC (an archaic shortening of "alchemic") and ECHOIC ("echo-like").

My selection: CHOICE


Round 5: S P M I E S R A I

I had IMPS, SEMIS, IMPASSE, PRAISES / ASPIRES, and IMPAIRS.  After time I noted another seven of SPIREAS (SPIREA being a variant spelling of SPIRAEA), and confirmed that MISPRAISE was not valid.

The eight in this mix is MISPRISE ("to despise; undervalue; slight; scorn").  The other sevens are IMPRESS / SIMPERS / PREMISS (variant form of PREMISE), MASSIER, IMPERIA (plural of IMPERIUM: "command; supreme power"), and PARESIS ("incomplete motor paralysis").

My selection: IMPASSE
Best: MISPRISE


Round 6: Target 154 from 25 100 75 50 9 5

I tried to overcomplicate this one, but then good sense reasserted itself and I found the obvious solution via the standard method: 154 = 100 + 50 + 9 - 5.  After time I noted an alternative solution of 154 = 75 + 50 + 100/5 + 9.

My selection: 154 = 100 + 50 + 9 - 5


Round 7: I R R A A L S C D

I had ARIA, RAILS, SCALAR, RADIALS, and RADICALS, reminding me of Andrew Fisher's first appearance on the show in episode 15.

The Macquarie does not allow RAILCARDS, so eight is the best to be done; the other is RAILCARS.  The other sevens are RAILCAR, RADICAL, and ACARIDS (ACARID: "any animal belonging to the Acari (or Acarina), an order of arachnids including the mites, ticks, etc.") / ASCARID (one of a family of nematode worms).

My selection: RADICALS


Round 8: Target 570 from 75 50 10 5 8 5

All those multiples of 5 mean this target should be somewhat easier than usual.  It is near 8*75, and the offset of 30 is fertile tweaking territory in this case, yielding 570 = 8*(75 - 5) + 10.  I also noted 570 = (75 - 5 - 5 - 8)*10 (but overlooked the arguably simpler 570 = (50 + 8 - 5/5)*10), and finally 570 = 10*50 + 75 - 5.

My selection: 570 = 8*(75 - 5) + 10


Round 9: LAP DANCES

I chose this form for the conundrum to hopefully stop anyone from trying it -- the Macquarie lists both LAP DANCE and LAP-DANCE.

My selection: LANDSCAPE (1.2s)