Here’s a game you can play with friends. Instead of spelling a word, name, title, or phrase from the beginning, you start spelling anywhere and continue (very slowly) one letter at a time, spelling in a circle, without indicating word endings, until someone guesses the original.

To visualize this process, imagine a cylindrical column with a name written all the way around it with no spacing that indicates where the first or last name begins or ends. If you don’t walk around the column, you can see only some of the letters of the name. They could be part of the first or last name, or they could include letters from both. For example, if Kelsey Grammer’s name were on the column, you might see ELSE or SEYGRAM or MERKEL. Would you be able to guess the name?

Well, here’s your chance to find out. Listed below are the results of “spirkling” familiar titles or names. We’ve given you six letters in order. If you wish the next letter, move your cursor to the space next to the last visible letter until your cursor indicates that you are over a hot spot. (Often, your cursor will take the shape of a hand.) Click on the space and continue this process until you can figure out the answer. The object, of course, is to guess the title or name with as few letters as possible.

For a printer-friendly file with more spirkles, click on the link below. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this file.