NG 519

New game 519 is now available.


Round 1: O E T D H F S G I

I had DOTE, DOTES, SIGHTED, FIDGETS, HOISTED, GHOSTED, and FOISTED.

Seven is the best to be done, with the others being SHIFTED, HOGTIES, HOGTIED, and DOGFISH.

My selection: FIDGETS


Round 2: O O D P T M I AS

I had MOOD, DIATOM, and DIATOMS / MASTOID.

The other sevens are IMPASTO / MATIPOS (MATIPO being a type of tree).

My selection: DIATOMS


Round 3: Target 832 from 75 8 9 7 1 7

The target is 11*75 + 7, which was clearly a tempting way to proceed.  The 11 could be made, yielding 832 = (9 + 8 + 1 - 7)*75 + 7.

My selection: 832 = (9 + 8 + 1 - 7)*75 + 7


Round 4: E I R O P D O N C

I had ROPE, PERIOD, and CROONED.

There is an eight here: PECORINO, a type of cheese.  The other sevens are PERCOID ("resembling a perch", in the fish sense) and PORCINE / PONCIER*.

My selection: CROONED
Best: PECORINO


Round 5: E G A L S A D A N

I had GALE, GALES, wondered about ALGAES (not valid), DANGLES, and LASAGNE.  After time I noted GALENAS as another seven (GALENA being a mineral containing lead).

The other sevens are LASAGNA (variant spelling of LASAGNE), AGENDAS, SLANGED, and GELADAS (GELADA being a type of baboon).

My selection: DANGLES


Round 6: Target 975 from 50 25 2 8 7 6

The target should be familiar as 13*75, and it is hard to go past that as an approach: 975 = (7 + 6)*(50 + 25).  Still, I noted some alternatives of 975 = (8 + 7 + 6 - 2)*50 + 25 and 975 = (6*8 - 7 - 2)*25.

My selection: 975 = (7 + 6)*(50 + 25)


Round 7: M R T E R C I A A

I had TERM, METRIC, and ERRATIC.  I also noted that changing the E to an H would yield MATRIARCH, for whatever that's worth.

The other sevens are TRAMCAR, CIRRATE ("having CIRRI", which in this context are tendrils), and TARAIRE (a New Zealand tree).

My selection: ERRATIC


Round 8: Target 147 from 25 5 10 2 8 3

The target is 7*21, which breaks down further but I used that form first: 147 = (25 - 8/2)*(10 - 3).  Then I noted a couple of solutions via 150: 147 = (8 - 2)*25 - 3 and 147 = 2*(8*10 - 5) - 3.

My selection: 147 = 2*(8*10 - 5) - 3


Round 9: NO PILGRIM

A couple of familiar fragments here, with both IMP- and -ING proving their worth.

My selection: IMPLORING (3.8s)